My Dilemma
by IHeartLogiebear
Summary: When Allie Diamond has to replace a classmate in the End Of The Year talent show,she must enlist the help of her parents,the other BTR guys,and her friends to overcome her stage fright and put on an unforgettable show. Part 6 of the Round and Round series
1. Family Vacation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush**

**A/N: My Dilemma is finally here! **

**I tried to make Allie, Mason, and their younger sibling like typical teenagers. You know, realistic but still fun and interesting. **

**Anyway...**

**Let the story begin!**

James Diamond walks down the hallway of a large cabin in Colorado. He and his family, which consists of his wife Brianne, their seventeen year old twins Allie and Mason, and their fifteen year old daughter Hadley, decided to travel to Colorado for Christmas break. At Hollywood Arts, the school that the kids go to, they get two weeks off for Christmas break. They haven't been on vacation in a while, so Colorado seemed like a good idea. They've lived in sunny Los Angeles for many years, living the lifestyle of the rich and famous, while Colorado is peaceful, a bit colder, and free of spoiled celebrities. There is just one thing that concerns James. All Allie seems to want to do is sit around and read. She's a bit sky, but James wishes that she would come out of her shell a little bit. They return to LA in a week and he is determined to get his little girl (She may be seventeen, but she will always be his little girl) to have some fun.

He finally reaches the door to her room. He knocks quietly before opening the door. Allie is laying on her stomach on the bed, reading a book that James isn't even interested in, and he's thirty six years old! You know, sometimes he fears that Allie is much too mature for her age. She's serious, smart (That's a good thing), and very reserved (This worries him sometimes, but at least she isn't like Hadley).

"Princess, you need to get to bed." He says.

"Okay, dad." Allie says, closing her book and putting it on the bedside table. "I was just finishing up my reading for my English class."

"Okay, but seriously, you need to get some rest." James says with a mischievous grin. "You and I are going skiing tomorrow."

"Dad, I love you, but I'm not going skiing." Allie says, taking the rubber band out of her hair. It had been in a messy bun, but now the straight blonde hair falls to her shoulders. James smiles and ruffles her hair, making the strands messier than they already are. He points to her bed, signaling for her to lay down. She gives him a thumbs up and obeys him, pulling the covers over herself. James sits on the bed and gently kisses her forehead, whispering "I love you" before walking out of the room. He walks to the next room, smirking when he sees Mason talking to someone on the phone. It's probably that girl, Kayla. She's the daughter of Dak Zevon and Lauren Williams. Mason thinks that she's the girl of his dreams. James always tells him that he better not get his hopes up. James thinks that Kayla would be a good girl for Mason, but she's also one of the most popular girls at Hollywood Arts. James doesn't mean to crush Mason's fantasies, but he tends to come on too strong when it comes to the ladies. James use to have a habit of doing that, but he grew out of it. He's still trying to give Mason dating lessons.

"Get off the phone, bud. You can talk to her later." He laughs.

"I gotta go." Mason whispers into the phone. "I'll talk to you later."

Once he has hung up, he looks at his dad in exasperation.

"Dad, I finally get Kayla's number and you tell me to get off the phone? I was about to ask her out!"

"You barely started talking to the girl." James warns him. "Just give it some time. Now please get to bed."

He walks out of the room and frowns when he sees Hadley looking out the window. He and Brianne honestly don't know how to handle this girl. She's their problem child. She just broke up with her _seventeen year old _boyfriend, she insists on getting a tattoo when she turns eighteen (If James has anything to say about it, that's never gonna happen), she's failing two classes, and she's a frequent visitor in detention. James hates to compare her to her sister, but really, why can't she be more like Allie? Allie makes good grades, never talks back, never sneaks out (Yes, Hadley had done that), and has a sweet personality. On the other hand, Hadley is rebellious, obnoxious, rude, and James isn't going to comment on her sense of fashion. Okay, he will! He secretly hates how she dresses. Miniskirts, fades and torn up jeans (These aren't a big deal until her parents see the shirt that she wears with it), and she wears T shirts that are way too tight. Guess what color she died her hair? She died it a really dark brown that, in James opinion, looks closer to the color black.

"Hadley Grace Diamond, what are you doing?" He asks wearily.

"Huh? Oh, I met this guy." Hadley says, waving at someone outside the window. James looks over her shoulder and shakes his head.

"No way." He says. "That guy is too old for you and he looks like he belongs in jail. You're not going to talk to him, got that?"

"Son of a..." Hadley says, stopping when James gives her a stern look. He doesn't want to hear her potty mouth tonight.

"Just go to bed." He says. Hadley rolls her eyes and walks to her bed, crawling under the covers.

James walks out of the room, leaving the door open. They don't allow Hadley to close her door after she snuck out out of the house last month. She just got done with her groundings, but she is no longer allowed to close the door. Yeah, they have to keep a tight leash on her, but they don't what else to do. Carlos says that military school would be good for her, but Brianne refuses to put any of her children through that. As wild as Hadley is, Brianne says that she doesn't belong in military school. Carlos was the son of a cop, so he believes in punishment, which is funny because he was a huge troublemaker back in high school. Now he's thirty six, married to Jessica, and they have a fourteen year old daughter named Tara, who is a good friend of Allie's. For some reason, Allie bonded better with Tara than someone her own age. Anyway, Kendall and Logan also married their girlfriends and have kids of their own. Logan and Camille have a son named Chris, who is in the second grade. Kendall and Jo have a fourteen year old son named Donald and Jo is currently pregnant again.

James yawns and stretches as he walks to his own bedroom, where Brianne is fast asleep. He smiles as he lays next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He places a loving kiss on her cheek, smiling when she yawns and buries her face in his chest. He kisses the top of her head and hugs her tightly.

"Are the kids asleep?" She asks tiredly.

"Yeah." James whispers, kissing her forehead.

"Including Hadley?"

"Finally.' James says in relief. "You know, she's been flirting with a delinquent."

"What?" Brianne questions, sitting up. "Oh, I am going to have a serious talk with her tomorrow."

"Brie, relax! I meant that he looks like a delinquent. Don't worry. I told her that she is not allowed to see him, okay?" James reassures her, stroking her cheek. "I promise."

"Okay." Brianne says, giving him a kiss. "Hey, is Jack going to put you guys to work when we get back to LA?"

Gustavo retired a couple years ago. He stills sees the boys, but he hired Jack to run Rocque Records. Jack Michaels worked at Columbia Records and Gustavo thought that he would to be perfect to take over Rocque Records. The BTR guys seem to enjoy working with him. Yes, Big Time Rush is still together. And they're still pretty popular too. James have even worked on a few films in the past few years, so he's even more well known now than he was when he was just starting out in show business. Even at his age, he still makes the girls go crazy. There are sixteen year old girls that think he's very hot. One girl at the cabin told him "You know, you're hot for an old man." last week. James was offended by her calling him an old man, but Brianne managed to calm him down before he could throw a fit. It took hours to convince him that he doesn't look old. He doesn't look like a sixteen year old anymore, but he still looks like James Diamond.

"Probably." James nods.

"Can you believe that our kids aren't famous yet? I mean, it doesn't matter, but it's just surprising." Brianne laughs.

"You know that Allie wants to be a History teacher." James grins. "I thought that she would become a singer like her dad."

"Jay, how could you possibly think that?" Brianne giggles. "She's terrified of going up onstage."

You may be thinking "If she's afraid to perform, what's she doing at Hollywood Arts?" Well, A few years ago, Mason wanted to audition, but Allie was terrified of staying at her old school without her brother. So she got James to find a good scene for her to act out. She performed the scene for three judges and got accepted. After that, she told herself that she would never go onstage again, not after what happened in second grade. Her class was performing a Christmas play and she forgot her lines and ran offstage. That probably contributed to her reputation as a "geek" and "wimp" and "scaredy cat". That is another reason that she wanted to go to Hollywood Arts. She was hoping that she could get away from the name calling. So far, that hasn't worked out too well. She has been at Hollywood Arts for years and she still isn't popular.

"Oh yeah." James says awkwardly.

"You need to spend more time with our kids." Brianne says, kissing her husband.

"I'll try." James laughs, kissing her nose.

* * *

><p>"Where are they?" Brianne asks, looking at her watch. She and James are sitting at a table in the lobby, waiting for the kids to show up. The cabin is serving cereal to it's guests and Brianne already has three bowls for Allie, Mason, and Hadley. She knows that Mason probably had to smother himself in hair and skin products, like his dad use to do. Hadley is probably still looking for an outfit. Allie will probably show up before either of her siblings. At least they have one responsible child. Brianne and James both wonder about Mason and Hadley. For all they know, those two could be in the middle of a stupid argument. They fight at least four times a week. The rest of their time is spent ignoring each other and minding their own business.<p>

"Okay, I'm here." Allie says, taking a seat at the table.

"Mason, I'm going to get there first!"

"And the fight begins." James mumbles as Hadley and Mason race reach other down the stairs. They keep pushing each other out of the way until Hadley beats Mason to the table. Mason mouths "Darn it" and stomps his foot before taking a seat next to his twin. He playfully pokes her side, laughing as she pushes him away.

"You kids need to go to therapy like your father and I did." Brianne says as she sits down.

"Didn't you and dad almost get a divorce because he and Aunt Camille kissed?" Hadley asks through a mouthful of cereal.

"Let's not discuss that." James says, rubbing his temples. "Please."

"Yeah, let's not." Brianne agrees.

"Hey, Allie, I want you to change into some proper clothes after this." James says, looking at Allie's plain white sweater and jeans. "And put your contacts on."

Allie wears glasses most of the time, but she occasionally wears contacts. They're really uncomfortable, so she really does prefer glasses.

"Dad, I was going to finish my book today." Allie complains. "I really just want to stay indoors today."

"You stay indoors all the time and it worries me." James tells her. Allie responds by rolling her eyes, quietly eating her cereal.

"Uncle Logan wouldn't make me go skiing."

"Because Uncle Logan is just like you, sweetie." Brianne tells her. "He prefers reading over getting exercise."

"But skiing is dangerous." Allie whines. "What if I get hurt?"

"Jay, maybe you shouldn't take her skiing." Brianne says. "You guys could do something else."

"Brie, I'm taking her to skiing _lesson_s." James reassures his wife. "She'll be fine."

"Can I come?" Hadley asks.

"Hadley, dad wants to spend time with _me_." Allie smirks.

"Of course he does." Hadley retorts, narrowing her eyes. "Because you're his little princess."

She stands up and starts to walk towards the door.

"Hadley, sit down." Brianne says in a warning tone. Hadley glares at Allie as she sits down, crossing her arms. This is another thing about Hadley. If she doesn't get her way, she pouts. They don't even know why she's like that. If she wanted to spend some time with her father, she should spend more time with her family and not in her room or at a friends house.

"Okay, I'm done." Allie says.

"Me too." Mason says, pushing his chair back. He stands up and takes his cell phone out of his jeans pocket. "i'm gonna call Kayla."

"Kayla Zevon is way out of your league." Hadley snorts.

"You shut up." Mason says as he dials Kayla's phone number.

"Hadley, go to your room." James says.

"Dad!" Hadley says argumentatively.

"If you can't respect your family, then you can go to your room." James warns her.

"Fine, I'll be nice." Hadley sighs. "Sorry, Mason."

"Shhh!" Mason says, holding the phone to his ear.

James and Brianne look at each with weird expressions. They do not have normal kids, do they?

* * *

><p>"Dad, I can't do this." Allie says as they are lifted higher from the ground. She looks at the white snow below her, feeling rather queasy. "Dad, tell them to put us down."<p>

"You'll be fine." James tells her as they both get into position. They're finally lifted to the top of the tall hill of snow. James jumps off the lift and begins skiing down the snow hill. When Allie tries to imitate him, she shrieks as she falls on her face and begins rolling down the hill. She knocks a few other people down and they yell at her in response. She finally rolls to the very bottom of the hill. She lays there for a moment, blushing in embarrassment. From the corner of her eye, she can see her dad running towards her. The next thing she knows, she is being helped into a standing position.

"Allie, are you okay?" He asks her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Allie says weakly. "That was so humiliating."

"We'll find something else to do." James says, leading her back to the cabin.

"I told you that it was a bad idea." Allie reminds him.

"Baby girl, you should know me by now." James tells her. "I do stupid things."

Allie shakes her head and follows her dad into the cabin. They walk upstairs and Allie immediately retreats to her room. James smiles and shakes his head as she sits on her bed and picks up her book. He walks to his own room and listens to the sound of the sink running coming from the restroom. He walks into the restroom and smiles when he sees Brianne brushing her teeth. He decides to surprise her by wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her from behind. He kisses her cheek and sighs as she leans back against him. He rests his chin on her shoulder and takes a deep breath. He doesn't know how he's going to explain Allie's little accident.

"You're back early." Brianne says.

"I know." James says quietly.

"Is Allie okay?"

"Yeah." James says quickly. "But she may have fallen down the snow hill, rather than ski down the snow hill. She's fine, though!"

"Jay!" Brianne gasps, playfully slapping James upper arm.

"Brie, I told you that she's okay." James chuckles, giving her a kiss.

"What happened?" Brianne asks him.

"Well, we were at the top of the hill, it was her turn to go, and she did not land on her skis." James admits. "She landed on her face and starting rolling down the hill, like a little basketball ball rolling across the court."

"You are insane." Brianne says, walking past him.

"Hey, where are Mason and Hadley."

"Mason went out and Hadley is sulking in her room." Brianne tells him.

"What are we going to do about that girl?" James asks."She been like this ever since sixth grade."

"She's just going through a phase." Brianne explains. "Well, that's what my mom says. Hadley will grow out of her rebellious streak."

"Brie, how long did it take Jessica to grow out of her rebellious streak?"

"Oh, she didn't grow out of it until she had Tara."

"Exactly!" James says. "She was, like, twenty three years old! I can't deal with Hadley's "rebellious streak" for the next eight years! I just can't do that! If I do, I'll end up like Logan ! Brianne, DO YOU WANT ME TO END UP LIKE LOGAN?"

"Hey, Logan doesn't crack under pressure anymore." Brianne says, stroking his cheek. "I don't think Hadley is as bad as Jessica was."

"Oh, Hadley isn't as bad as Jessica. She's worse!" James says in a deep voice, grabbing her shoulders.

"Oh, hush." Brianne laughs, cupping his face in her hands. She gives him a big kiss and wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too." James whispers, rubbing her back.

We know that Big Time Rush is still together. What about Brianne? Yes, she is still a pop star. She's a little heavier than she use to be, due to giving birth to three kids, but she is still making music. She has also done a lot of acting since she starred in Varsity Vampire 3. She use to be an alcoholic, but she has been sober for many years now. When she was just nineteen years old, she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. She has some bad days, but overall, she's doing pretty well. She's stable and happy. She even stopped going to therapy when she was twenty one.

A few months after their horrible vacation to Mandelino, Hilary and Wayne Wayne started dating. A few months after she turned twenty one, she announced that they were getting married. A couple months after that, she revealed that she was pregnant. Yeah, Hilary doesn't seem like the mommy type, but it happened. Of course, Wayne Wayne wasn't ready to be a father, so he left Hilary after their daughter Leighton was born. The bad part is that Hilary has spoiled that girl. Leighton has her mom wrapped around her finger. She gets whatever she wants when she wants it. She goes to Hollywood Arts and Allie says that she is a jerk. Mason thinks that she's hot. Hadley hates her.

Lindsey married Jett Stetson when she was twenty five, but they never had any kids. They're thinking about adopting, but they aren't sure yet.

"Hey, I'm gonna go for a walk." Brianne says, kissing his cheek. "Wanna come with me?"

"Sure." James says "Just let me call Mason."

"Why?" Brianne asks.

"I want him to watch the girls." James says as he starts to grab the phone off the bedside table.

"Jay, the girls will be fine." Brianne says, grabbing his hand. "Come on."

They begin walking down the hallway, but before they walk down the stairs, they say "Behave, girls!"

"Okay!" Allie and Hadley call out in unison.

"That's my girls." James grins before he and Brianne begin walking down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I got the name Hollywood Arts from VicTORious:D <strong>

**I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter!**

**Review! :D**


	2. New Years Eve

"So I guess this is it." Brianne sighs, looking around their room. She had really enjoyed being on vacation, but now they have to get back to LA. She and James have to work, the kids have school, and Brianne has to go with Jo to her next doctors appointment. The boys will be at the studio that day and the other girls are busy as well, but lucky for Brianne, she has the day off. She'll probably have to make a billion stops on the way to the hospital, so Jo can either use the restroom or buy another bad of potato chips. Well, she's eight months along, so they won't have to deal with it for too much longer. Kendall is excited because they are having a girl this time. They're still trying to decide on a name, but at least they're having a girl. Jo is kind of leaning towards Madison Joanne Knight, but she wants to ask Kendall about it first.

There's so much going on right now and Brianne is really going to miss the peaceful environment that they have enjoyed for the past two weeks. Once they return to LA, she's also going to be reminded that Allie and Mason are going to graduate from high school in five months. They have been her babies for the past seventeen years. Now they're going to be all grown up. Mason is going to stay in LA and become an actor, but Allie hasn't decided on a college yet. What if she decides to go out of state? Not that Brianne would try to change her mind, but the thought of Allie going out of state is worrisome to think about.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" James asks, pulling her into a hug.

"Going home." Brianne sighs, looking at his gorgeous face. "I mean, we've all got things to do. And the twins will be graduating in a few months. It's just a little overwhelming."

"Hey, everything is fine." James says, rubbing her arms. "I know it's hard to see our kids grow up. I'm just as nervous as you are, but it's going to happen whether we like it or not. It's just something that we're going to have to accept. I mean, your mom and Ms. Knight were all sad when we moved out, but they were just fine."

He kisses her forehead, then returns to packing his suitcase. Brianne puts her hairbrush in the cosmetics case and laughs when she sees a familiar black comb in one of the pockets. She takes it out and stares at James with a knowing smile.

"Jay, you still have your lucky comb?"

"Yes." James says as he grabs the comb, running it through his hair. "Even an old guy like me has to look good."

"You're something else." Brianne smiles, gently patting his cheek. James grins and pushes her hand away, zipping up his suitcase. He puts the lucky comb back in the cosmetics case and kisses Brianne's cheek before walking to the restroom. He stares at his reflection. He's still attractive, but he kind of misses the days when he was still young and super hot. He always has his female fans to make him feel young again, but he still hates that he's only four years away from turning forty. That's when he'll really start feeling like an old man.

"Alright," Brianne says as she hugs him from behind. "What's wrong, handsome?"

"I'm old." James pouts, crossing his arms.

"Jay, you're thirty six." Brianne says, rubbing his shoulders. "You're fine."

"Brie, look at me." James complains, turning around. "Take a really good look and tell me what you see."

"Well, I'll tell you what I see." Brianne says, walking closer to him. She grabs his hands and pulls him against her, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I see an incredibly gorgeous, cute, muscular, sweet, caring, loving, and awesome man that I am proud to call my husband. When I met you, you were so hot and you still are. So stop saying that you're old. You don't even _look _old."

"You don't think so?" James asks. Brianne shakes her head and pulls him into a kiss before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, wanna go and check on the kids?" She asks. "I want to make sure that they've packed."

"Sure." James says, grabbing her hand. They walk to Hadley's room and frown when they see that her bags are on her bed, but she isn't. They groan quietly. She better not have snuck out again. They'll have to ground her again if she did that. She hates being grounded, so she would surely not want to take any risks.

They walk into Mason's room and find that he's gone too. Lastly, they walk to Allie's room. They sigh in relief when they see all three kids sitting on the bed. Well, Allie's standing up and folding one of her T shirts, while Mason and Hadley are just laying there. James and Brianne look at each other and sigh with relief when they see Hadley's outfit. Instead of wearing tight jeans and low cut T shirts, she is wearing a pair of normal fitting jeans, a black sweeter, and a white coat with a black beret hat. She looks much cuter when she wears close like this.

"Hey, did you kids already pack?" Brianne asks.

"Yeah." Allie and Mason say in unison.

"Uh huh." Hadley says in a bored tone.

"Well, we've gotta get to the airport, so get your stuff." James tells them. "Make sure you didn't forget anything."

* * *

><p>Nearly thirteen hours later, they find themselves back in Los Angeles. As they are walking through the terminal, Allie finds herself sort of happy to be home. She loves having two weeks off for vacation, but she has missed their house and her room. They live in a huge house near the Palm Woods, where her parents and their friends. Apparently, they bought the house before they got married. To make room for Hadley, they turned the guest bedroom into a room for Allie and Mason (There are only three bedrooms, so they have to share) and they let Hadley sleep in the nursery. Now that there's no longer a baby in the house, they turned the nursery into a bedroom for Hadley. Allie was hoping that they could switch rooms, but her parents said no because they think it's a bad idea for Mason and Hadley to sleep in the same room.<p>

"I'm hungry." Mason complains.

"We're gonna have our friends over later, so there will be some food." Brianne tells him. "But you can have a snack when we get home."

"Thanks, mom." Mason says in relief.

"Who are you texting?" Hadley asks, looking over Allie's shoulder.

"Tara." Allie says, typing something on her cell phone.

"Are you talking about how excited you are to see the science fair?" Hadley teases. She earns a slap on the arm and "Shut up" from Allie. They walk to the luggage pick up area and put their suitcases on a luggage cart. Once they have all of their suitcases, they begin walking out of the airport. It only takes a few minutes to arrive at their light blue colored van, which James and Brianne bought when Hadley was about two years old. Since there were five people in the family, they thought that a van would provide much more room. If they had kept the Big Time Rush mobile or the Mercedes Benz, all three kids would have been squished together in the backseat.

"Okay, let's go home." James says. He backs out of the parking space and drives out of the parking lot. They drive past several buildings and skyscrapers, as well as some beautiful Palm trees. To break the silence, James turns on the radio. The music that is playing does not please him. Hadley is into older bands and her favorite is Vampirah. Sh says that vampires are cool. James always tells her "Hadley, you do know that these guys almost beat Big Time Rush in that demo competition, right?" Guess what her response always ends up being. "I know!" She thinks that Big Time Rush is okay, but she isn't completely in love with their music.

"Ugh, I hate this song." Allie says, covering her ears.

"You? What about me?" Mason says in disbelief. "it's making my ears bleed!"

"You are both jerks." Hadley says, kicking the back of Mason's seat.

"Kids, be nice." Brianne says as she takes Hadley's Vampirah CD out and telling Mason to give it to her. Hadley takes the CD out of his hand and puts it in her tote bag.

"Let's listen to something else." James suggests. "Like Simple Plan."

"Dad, Simple Plan broke up." Hadley sighs. "They're pursuing solo careers, remember?"

"Doesn't mean they're not awesome." James says as he puts a Simple Plan CD in the CD player.

"Sure it doesn't." Hadley mumbles.

As they are driving by a long line of boutiques, they see a crowd of paparazzi following a celebrity and snapping pictures of her. Allie looks sympathetic of the poor girl. This is exactly why she doesn't want to be famous. People would never leave her alone. She already gets enough attention just for being the daughter of James Diamond and Brianne Rocque. That's really all the attention she needs. She may be attending a performing arts school, but that's only because she didn't want to be alone at her old school. She's a fairly decent actress, so her audition was just good enough to get her into the school. Even though some of the students are pretty stuck up, she likes Hollywood Arts. She has some good friends, Camille teaches there, and it's never boring. Yes, Camille teaches at Hollywood Arts. She use to be an actress, but she only acted in a few roles. After a while, she decided to go to college to become a drama teacher. Camille knows that Allie doesn't like being onstage, so she rarely calls on her. Allie has had perform in front of the class a few times, but the class is pretty small and she has always performed with someone like Tara or Hadley. There was one time that she and Leighton had to perform a scene together.

Sometimes she wishes that she was more like Mason. He's outgoing and not afraid to perform in front of people. One time, he spent the whole day bragging about how he got to perform a scene with Kayla. Seriously, her brother is completely lovestruck. She loves him, though. They aren't like some siblings. They're close and Mason always sticks up for his baby sister. They're the same age, but Allie is ten minutes younger.

"I can't wait until people are following me like that." Mason and Hadley say dreamily.

"Trust us." Brianne says. "That isn't as fun as it looks."

"I even punched one of those guys." James says, jumping when Brianne slaps his shoulder.

"Wow, that is bad a..." Hadley starts to say.

"Hadley Grace Diamond!"

"Sorry, mom."

"Hey, we're almost home." James says as he drives past the Palm Woods. He punches in the code and the Lakewood gates open. He finally parks in front of their house. They all climb out of the van and begin unloading the suitcases. Mason is dragging his own suitcase out of the van when a girly and sweet voice interrupts him.

"Hi, Mason."

He yelps as he lets the suitcase tumble from the back of the van, hitting the concrete. He quickly turns around, trying to look cool. Kayla Zevon, a short and pretty blonde haired girl (She's a natural brunette, but she dies her hair), is standing there, smiling at him. Mason smiles nervously and stammers, trying to think of some good words to say.

"Uh, uh, uhhhh...WIll you marry me?" He blurts out.

"We'll talk about that later." Kayla says with a amused smile. "How was your vacation?"

"Um, it was...um...It was..." Mason stammers.

"It was great, but he couldn't get his mind off you." Hadley says, pushing her brother toward the front tour.

"Oh! Well, it was great seeing you, Mason!" Kayla calls out. Mason smiles and waves, running into the wall. He rubs his forehead with his hand and rushes into the house.

"Oh, Mrs. Diamond, would you like to say hi to my parents? I'm sure they would love to see you." Kayla says politely.

Brianne smiles nervously as she glances at James. She can't believe that Kayla just asked that. She has forgotten about the drama that happened between her, Dak, and Lauren when they were teenagers, but things have always been a little weird between them since that happened. They're more like good neighbors, rather than friends.

"You know, Kayla, I really need to get unpacked." She says. "But tell them that I said hi."

"Okay." Kayla says. "Bye."

She walks down the sidewalk and walks back into her own house.

"She really is a very sweet girl." James says. "She's a lot more polite than her mom."

"I think she and Hadley should be friends." Brianne whispers with a playful smile. "Maybe her politeness would rub off on Hadley."

"Yeah, that'll happen." James laughs as he locks the car. Then he carries his suitcases into the house.

* * *

><p>"Hon, do you wanna help me wash the dishes?" Brianne asks Allie. The girl doesn't haven't anything to do, since she finally finished her book for English. She needs to spend more time out of her room, so Brianne has started getting her to do chores around the house. Besides, she wants to spend more time with her daughter. Washing dishes together is the perfect way to do that.<p>

"Sure." Allie says as she grabs a plate, scrubbing it with the dish towel.

Knock! Knock!

Brianne and Allie look over the bar and can see Kendal and Jo walking into the living room. Jo is wearing a loose T shirt in an attempt to cover her baby bump, but it's still very noticeable. Donald , AKA Donnie, bumps fists with Mason and gives Hadley a playful shove, which earns him a slap behind the head. Everyone use to ask him if he has a crush on Hadley, but he always says "No, I just like to annoy her."

"Where's my other girl?" Kendall asks, referring to Allie.

"I'm right here!" Allie says, walking into the living room.

"Come over here and give Uncle Kendall a hug!" Kendall says. Allie runs up to him and he wraps his arms around her waist, spinning her around. He puts her down and ruffles her hair before motioning to Hadley, who walks over to him and gives him a hug. In Hadley's opinion, Kendall is the cool uncle. According to her, Carlos is too strict and Logan is too overprotective. Kendall is the one that takes the kids out for ice cream and completely spoils them during the holidays. He even got Allie a really expensive sweater from Saks Fifth Avenue as an early Christmas present.

"Are we going to enjoy our New Years celebration tonight?" Kendall asks, high fiving James.

"We're going to order a pizza in a little while." Brianne says as she sits next to Jo. "And how is the baby doing?"

She touches Jo's stomach, smiling when the baby girl kicks.

"I'm tired." Jo complains. "I didn't get any sleep last night."

"Well, why don't you go and take a nap in Allie and Mason's room?" Brianne tells her. "Just walk down the hall. Their room is the second door to your right."

"Thanks, Brie." Jo says before standing up and walking out of the living room.

"Only a few more weeks to go." Brianne reminds Kendall, noticing the worried look on his face.

"Are you sure that she's not expecting twins?" James asks. "Because Brie was tired like that when she was expecting Allie and Mason.

"Jay, she's going to be tired whether she's expecting twins or not." Brianne tells him.

Knock! Knock!

"WE'RE HERE!" Carlos shouts.

"Carlos, you nearly burst my eardrum!" Jessica says as they walk into the living room.

"Hey, we haven't seen them in two weeks." Carlos argues. He no longer wears his helmet, but he has it on a shelf in their office. It's kind of weird to see him without the black helmet on his head. A few years ago, he just wasn't Carlos if he wasn't wearing the helmet. Now he's a grown man, so wearing a helmet would be considered childish and weird.

"We're here too!" Camille says happily. as she follows Logan into the living room, holding hands with Chris.

"We have missed you guys so much." Brianne says as she hugs them. "This New Years party is going to be amazing."

"Are we going to watch the celebration in New York City?" Logan asks, wrapping his arm around Camille.

"We're certainly not going to miss it." Brianne says as she sits next to James, giving him a kiss.

"Tara, did you bring some of those CD's?" Jessica asks her daughter. "If we have to listen to Vampirah again, I might have to scream."

"Vampirah is cool!" Hadley says, trying to defend her favorite band.

"You have a really disturbing taste in music, kid." Logan tells her.

"We all know that." Mason laughs, stopping whenever Hadley glares at him.

"Kendall, where's Jo?" Camille asks.

"She was tired, so we told her to take a nap." Kendall says as he stands up. "But I'm going to go and check on her."

With that, he walks out of the room.

* * *

><p>"It should be starting soon." James says, sitting next to Brianne on the couch. They, along with Jo and Kendall, are sitting on the couch. Camille is sitting in the reclining chair, while everyone else is sitting on the floor. They have the TV on the right channel and the voice over guy just announced that the Rocking Eve party is coming up next. A huge bowl of popcorn is sitting on the coffee table.<p>

"I heard that Vampirah is going to be performing." Hadley grins. "The lead singer is thirty seven, but still pretty good looking."

"Hadley, don't announce your love for a thirty seven year old rocker in front of your guests." James scolds.

"Sorry, dad." Hadley responds, sounding rather insincere.

"Aunt Camille, did you ever grade my semester exam?" Allie asks.

"You got a 92." Camille tells her. "You missed about three questions. You did fine!"

"How did I do on mine?" Hadley asks hopefully.

"You got an 75." Camille says. "Did you study at all?"

"Of course." Hadley says, laughing nervously.

"You stayed up all night talking to Will." Mason says. "Well, before he dumped you for that totally hot..."

"Alright, you bring that up again and I swear I will rip you to shreds!" Hadley snaps, standing up.

"Hadley..." Brianne warns. Hadley mutters under her breath as she sits back down. She looks at Carlos, who gives her a stern sighs heavily and looks at the TV. The host is talking to Hilary and Leighton. Once again, that's Hilarys daughter. She and her mom traveled to New York City for their Christmas break and since they were in town, the producers of the Rocking Eve party invited them to be celebrity guests.

"Leighton looks like Hilary." Jessica says. "Don't you think?"

"She got her mom's personality too." Brianne says, looking at the two red heads on the screen.

"Logan, is Hilary still in love with you?" Carlos asks.

"No, she's not in love with me!" Logan says, blushing.

"Hilary was in love with you?" Chris asks his dad.

"Bud, Hilary was not in love with me." Logan denies. "She just had a very creepy and obsessive crush on me."

"Oh, it was more than a crush." Kendall says.

James and Brianne ignore their friends and look at each other, leaning in for a sweet and passionate kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	3. Back To School

"Good morning, beautiful." James says as he walks into the kitchen, kissing his wife on the cheek. He wraps his arms around her waist and hugs her tightly, staring the meal she is making. Today, the kids go back to school and just like most mornings, she is making breakfast for the family. If they're in a hurry, they'll grab a muffin or a bagel, but Brianne likes to make eggs and bacon. She thinks that a healthy meal is very important. Her kid's health is very important to her, so she is always tries to make healthy meals for them. Of course, she still loves to bake cookies for them, especially chocolate chip.

"Good morning, honey." She says as she turns the stove off. She turns to look at her husband, admiring his casual yet attractive appearance. He's wearing a pair of grey sweatpants, and a black T shirt with the sleeves rolled up, along with a white bandana around his head. Yeah, he still wears bandanas. "Well, don't you look handsome today."

"Uh huh." James grins, giving her a kiss. "Hey, do you want me to take the kids up?"

"Um, sure." Brianne says, giving him a hug. "Thanks, babe."

James walks down the hallway and to Allie and Mason's room. He walks into the bedroom, noticing that the two teenagers are still asleep. He taps Mason on the shoulder, watching as the boy groans and pulls the covers over his head. Mason is not a morning person at all. It usually takes five minutes to get him out of bed. One time, Allie actually grabbed his feet and, with some difficulty, dragged him off the bed and out of the room.

"Mason, get up." He says. "You kids have to go to school."

"Five more minutes." Mason mumbles.

"Kayla is here." James lies. The boy jumps out of bed and looks around frantically, frowning when he sees no sign of his long time crush. He glares at his dad, obviously figuring out that James was lying. In response, James shrugs.

"What? I had to get you out of bed. Now get to the table. Your mom made breakfast."

Mason sighs and walks out of the bedroom, still annoyed with the big Kayla related lie.

"You too, missy." James says, sitting on Allie's bed. His oldest daughter whines softly and James smiles. He's going to miss this girl when she graduates. He prays that she won't go to college out of state. UCLA would be a good school for her. She could get an education and James could still see his baby girl whenever he wants.

"Come on, princess." James says, running his fingers through her hair. "Get up."

"I'm tired, dad."

"I know, sweetie." He says, standing up. He gets an idea, smiling as he pulls the covers off of her. He lifts the girl into his arms and laughs whenever she squeals quietly. He places a kiss on her forehead and puts her down. Her hair is sticking up in every direction, giving James a good reason to laugh. You know, she looks just like her mother. Of course, she has his hazel eyes.

"Daddy, I want to sleep." She complains.

"Your mom made eggs and bacon." James says in a sing song voice. "Your favorite."

"Okay." Allie sighs, leaving the room.

James sighs heavily. Two down, one to go. Hadley is a pain in the behind when it comes to mornings. He hopes that she'll cut him and her mom a little slack and actually attempt to cooperate. If she refuses to get out of bed, he'll drag her out. He's done it before and he's not afraid to do it again.

He walks out of the room and into the living room, where the stairs are located. He smiles at the rest of his family before walking up the stairs. He looks in Hadley's room, seeing his daughter fast asleep on the bed. His beautiful yet troublesome little girl. He loves her a lot, but he wishes that she were a little more tamed. She's going to be sixteen in April. How can she already be such a wild child at her age.

"Baby, you've gotta get up." He says, shaking her gently.

"Father dearest, I went to be at eleven thirty last night." Hadley mumbles. "I don't wanna get up."

"Come on, girl." James says, kissing her forehead. "Could you please try to be a little cooperative? For me?"

He smiles as Hadley opens her hazel eyes, looking up at him. She sighs heavily and sits up, getting out of bed. James smiles as he stands up, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks, baby girl." He says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Both of his daughters ended up being daddy's little girl. He loves that!

They walk down the stairs and James gives Brianne a thumbs up. His wife mouths "Thank you" when she sees that he managed to get Hadley out of bed with no problems. Once they've reached the bottom of the stairs, They sit at the table and begin eating their meals.

Brianne smiles as she watches her husband and kids. Even though she's an international pop star, being a wife and mommy is her favorite job. It's her most important job too. The kids have been to some of her recording sessions. Walter (Yes, he's still her producer) thinks that they could all make good pop stars, but Brianne wants them to finish high school before they try to become famous. Mason has brought some of his guy friends to Starstruck Records and they all get a kick out of watching his mom sing, dance, and pose for pictures. They can't believe that she can still have a little talent at thirty six years old. Personally, she was offended when they said that. What? She may be getting older, but she is perfectly capable of pulling off some good dance moves. Who said that you can be talented when you get older? Just look at people like Dolly Parton, Betty White, and other stars that were still working in their old age. Brianne isn't even forty yet!

"Are you going to take Jo to the doctor?" James asks.

"Yeah." Brianne nods.

"I can't wait to see her baby." Allie says.

"Let's hope that the kid isn't as annoying as Donny." Hadley says.

"Sweetie, I think Donnie just has a crush on you." Brianne tells her. "Even if he won't admit it."

"I don't date freshmen." Hadley says. "Tell him that."

"Yeah, you date anyone seventeen an older." Mason comments. "You would date a thirty year old if you had the chance."

"I would not!" Hadley says, smacking him behind the head. Mason slaps her shoulder and before anyone knows it, they are having a full on slap war.

"Okay!" Brianne says, breaking up the fight. "Both of you need to stop it!"

"Sorry, mom." The two teens mumble, embarrassed.

"Okay." Brianne says, taking her empty plate to the kitchen. She puts it in the sink before walking back to the dining table. "Hey, I'm gonna go ahead and pick Jo up. Her appointment is at ten."

"I'll see you later." James says, giving her a kiss.

"I love you." Brianne says, kissing his cheek. She gives the kids a kiss on their heads, then grabs her purse and walks out the front door.

* * *

><p>Brianne walks to the front door of Kendall and Jo's house in Beverly Hills. The small, one story red brick home is perfect for their small family. They have been living here since they were twenty two years old. They got married at twenty two and decided that it was time for them to leave the Palm Woods. Ms. Knight even got her own place after the boys moved on. The Palm Woods is the home of the future famous, so if there are no future celebrities in the apartment, she saw no point in staying there. Katie is now a well known publicist and works with several different celebrities (She even says that she'll be willing to work with Mason and Hadley when they get their careers started). She lives a few houses down from Kendall and Jo. At thirty years old, she still isn't married. She's had a couple boyfriends, but she doesn't seem to care about marriage. If she ever does get married, she wants to be certain that she's marrying The One.<p>

Brianne presses the doorbell, smiling when Jo opens the door.

"Hey, you're here." The very pregnant woman says.

"I'm here." Brianne smiles. "Ready to go?"

"Sure." Jo says as she locks the front door. "Kendall just left for Rocque Records and Donnie rode to school with a friend."

"Alright," Brianne says. "Now let's get you to the doctor."

They both get into the van and Brianne puts the key in the ignition. James is going to ride to Rocque Records with Carlos, while the kids will go to school in Mason's car. That way, Brianne can take Jo to the doctor.

"I can't wait until this is all over." Jo says as she tries to get comfortable. "Were you this uncomfortable when you were pregnant?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Brianne says.

"When we get back from the doctor, I want you to see the baby's nursery. It's finally finished." Jo says excitedly. "It's the cutest thing ever."

She sighs heavily and leans back in the seat, putting her hands on her large stomach. The baby kicks her hands and she smiles, but that smile turns into a look of discomfort.

"Can we stop by a convenience store?" She asks. "I need to use the restroom."

"Jo, your appointment is at ten." Brianne says, getting scared when Jo glares at her. Okay, since she's afraid to tick Jo off, they're gonna go to a convenience store. She drives into the parking lot of the Exxon station. Jo gets out of the car and quickly walks into the building. Brianne sees a paparazzi guy snapping pictures of her, but she ignores them. Let them take all the pictures they want. She just wishes that she had gotten a little more dressed up. She hates when the paparazzi get pictures of her in sweats. If she's going to be in a magazine, she wants to look good.

She lets her elbow rest against the edge of the car door, keeping her hand in front of her face. She doesn't even have any makeup on!

"Okay, I'm finally back!" Jo says after being in the restroom for five minutes.

Brianne starts the car back up and drives out of the small parking lot.

* * *

><p>"Allie, make sure that Hadley doesn't skip class today." Mason tells his twin.<p>

"Got it." Allie says, grabbing Hadley's arm. They have Camille's, AKA Mrs. Mitchell's, class first. Hadley rarely skips this one, but if she's running late, she apparently doesn't see the point of showing up at all. Camille isn't really strict about lateness if you're only five minutes late, but if you don't show until she's halfway through the lesson, she assigns detention.

They walk into the classroom, where Camille is talking to Leighton. The drama queen is such a teachers pet. She seems to think that if she sucks up to the teacher, she'll be favored over all the other students. Camille doesn't favor any student over the other, so Leighton's attempts are pointless, but she still keeps it up.

"Okay, Is everyone here?" Camille says.

"Yes, Mrs. Mitchell.." The class says in unison.

"Okay." Camille says enthusiastically. "Today, we are going to do an acting exercise. Any volunteers?"

"I think Allie would like to." Leighton says, smirking at Allie. "Since she did so fantastic during her last performance. _In second grade_."

Allie sinks lower into her seat, hoping that she might disappear. Everyone is staring at her, waiting for her to get on the small stage in the classroom.

"Allie, why don't you and Hadley try it?" Camille suggests, sending a warning glance in Leighton's direction. Hadley glares at Leighton and drags her sister out of her chair. They walk up to the stage and turn to face the class. Allie looks at her feet, but looks up when Hadley elbows her.

"What do we do, Mrs. Mitchell?" She asks, smirking at Leighton.

"Alright, Allie is going to play a teenage girl that just got a parking ticket. Hadley, you are going to play her mom, who scolds her." Camille asks. When Leighton starts to speak up, Camille quickly motions for her to be quiet. "Girls, show us what you got.

"Um, mom, I kind of got a parking ticket." Allie says evasively.

"What?" Hadley asks angrily. "I warned you a gazillion times to be a better driver! I paid for your driving lessons, I took you to take your drivers test, and this is what happens? Young lady, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Wait!" Camille interrupts. "Hadley, you need to sound angrier."

"Yeah, think about how your mom felt when you ran into that mailbox during your drivers ed class." Leighton tells her.

"You're pushing it, skunk bag." Hadley says through a smile.

Camille rubs her temples. As much as she loves teaching, she hates dealing with teenage drama. She's going to ignore it for now. She'll only get involved if anyone starts shouting or punches are thrown. She's in no mood for that. She's been having a good day and she's not going to let it be ruined.

"Continue." She says calmly.

"I'm really sorry, mom! But I was in a hurry to get to class! I couldn't be late!"

"Lateness is no excuse, missy!" Hadley says, sounding more stern than before.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Allie sighs.

"Go to your room." Hadley says, pointing towards the class. Allie pretends to look embarrassed as she walks off the stage. Camille claps as she stands up.

"Very good, girls." She says. "Hadley, you may return to your seat."

Hadley returns to her desk and gives Allie a thumbs up.

"Not bad." She whispers.

"I can't believe that Leighton volunteered me." Allie whispers.

"Heard you have a nasty case of stage fright." Leighton says coolly. "Thought I'd help you out."

"You're a jerk, Leighton!" Hadley whispers harshly.

"Girls, eyes up here." Camille tells them. They become silent and direct their attention to their teacher. "I have an important announcement. Tomorrow, myself and Mrs. Hartley will be holding auditions for the End Of The Year talent show. I know that five months seems like a long time, but we want this to be a great show, so we need lots of time to practice. Especially the musical number that our seniors will be doing. We will have the sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the main lobby and you have until tomorrow at three to sign up."

"I'm so signing up." Leighton whispers to her posse.

"So are me and Allie." Hadley says.

Allie and Tara Garcia both look at her with shock. Tara knows that Allie has stage fright. Allie has made it clear many times. She thought that Hadley understood that.

"Say what?" She whispers.

"Why'd you say that?" Tara says in disbelief.

"You heard me." Hadley responds.

Allie cannot believe that Hadley just did that. Now everyone is going to expect her to audition when she doesn't even want to. She doesn't care what anyone says. She refuses to go onstage and humiliate herself in front of her classmates. She can handle a few more months of ridicule, as long as she never has to set foot on that stage. Sure, people always say that she doesn't belong at Hollywood Arts, but she would rather hear that than the laughter that she'll hear if she auditions for that talent show and embarrasses herself.

* * *

><p>Mason smiles dreamily as he stares at the back of Kayla's head. He's not even paying attention to the teacher's lesson. Who cares about a lesson when you're sitting behind Kayla Zevon? If he doesn't know what's going on, that's a perfect excuse for him to get Kayla to tutor him. They've had after school study sessions together before and it was the best time of his life. She's so smart and beautiful. Sometimes, in his dreams, he marries Kayla. They have a wedding at the beach with hundreds of people watching them. If that could only happen in real life. It could happen, right?<p>

"Mr. Diamond, you're spacing out again." The History teacher, Mr. Carlton, says. At Hollywood Arts, the students have to take four core classes (Math, science, History, and English), two fine arts classes (Mason is taking drama and choir), and a study hall class.

"Sorry." He says, snapping out of his Kayla filled mind. He smiles at Kayla when she turns around and giggles.

Yes, Mason Diamond is in love.

* * *

><p>"Guys, you've been practicing the moves, right?" Jack Michaels ask the four men The tall, dark, and handsome music producer also acts as their choreographer. He has been teaching them the dance to their next single. It's a cover of the NSYNC song "Bye Bye Bye."<p>

"Yeah." They all say in unison.

"Alright." Jack says in relief. "I've been writing a new song, but I'm not done with it yet. It should be done by tomorrow, though. Man, you guys are going to love it."

"It's amazing." Kelly agrees. She's not that old yet, so she's still working as the assistant at Rocque Records. Gustavo could still work if he wanted to, but he decided to retire early. Occasionally, he stops by and helps Jack write songs for the band, but he no longer produces. Kelly kind of misses him and his constant screaming and yelling. Rocque Records is awfully quiet without him. Griffin is still the CEO and he stops by the studio quite often. His daughter Mercedes has not changed a bit. She still gets on everyones nerves. She even likes to hit on Logan when she visits. When Logan rejects her, she says "Ah, just like old times."

"Jack, why don't you let the boys take a ten minute break?" Kelly suggests. "They look tired."

"Yeah." Jack nods. "Hey, guys, you can take a break if you want."

"Thank goodness!" Carlos says, running out of the room. The other boys follow him, walking to the nearest water fountain. They all drink from it, then walk to the sitting area. They collapse onto the couch, resting their tired and aching muscles.

"I'm getting too old for this." Logan gasps.

"Yes, you are." Carlos says, yelping when Logan kicks him.

"Shut up." Logan says, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch.

"I'm going to call Brianne and see if she got Jo to the doctor yet." Kendall says as he takes his cell phone from his pocket. He stands up and walks away, dialing Brianne's phone number.

"You know, I hope that Hadley didn't skip class again." James says.

"Dude, I'm telling you, send her to military school." Carlos says.

"I'm not sending her to military school." James says, slapping his friend's arm. "Although I've felt like it many times, I'm not sending her to military school or boarding school. I am perfectly capable of disciplining my daughter."

"How come you never discipline Allie?" Logan smirks.

"She's my good child." James says.

"Or she's just daddy's little girl." Carlos tells him. "Tara's like that. She's all "I love you, daddy, but I know that she's a little troublemaker."

"Allie is a good kid!" James argues. "And Tara is not a troublemaker. She has stayed at our house before and she's a really nice girl."

"We know." Carlos and Logan laugh.

"They're just soooo innocent." Logan says under his breath, chuckling. "I'm the one with the good kid."

"Don't be so sure." Carlos tells him.

"You people are mean." James says, shaking his head.

"We know!" His friends say again, smiling because they can tell that he's getting irritated.

"Stop saying that!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm really proud of this chapter:) I hope that you enjoyed it too!<strong>

**Review! :D **


	4. Happy Families

James places a soft kiss on Brianne's cheek, smiling when she laughs. He feels her hands on his biceps and he returns the smile, wrapping his arms around her waist. The kids aren't home yet, so they're using the peace and quiet as a chance to hug and kiss without the kids making comments. Besides, they don't have much time for each other when the kids are around, so they're secretly happy when the kids are out of the house. When they're gone, James can kiss his wife whenever he wants and no one can say anything about it. It's important for married couples to spend time together. It's the way to keep the marriage happy and healthy. Sure, having kids is great, but it's also nice when James and Brianne can focus on each other. They're always helping the kids with homework and relationship problems. That gets exhausting after a while.

"Alright, you're all sweaty." Brianne says, kissing him. "Go take a shower."

"You know you love your sweaty man." James says, giving her a bear hug. As he squeezes her tightly, she squeals and wraps her arms around his waist. He smiles and kisses the top of her head, giving her another squeeze before letting go. Brianne pushes his hair away from his face, playing with the soft strands. He let his hair grow out to its natural length for a while, but he recently got it cut again. She likes his short hair because it doesn't take so much attention away from his face.

"You have really soft hair." She says as he grabs her hand and kisses it. "Now you really need to take a shower."

"Okay." James chuckles, kissing her forehead before walking up the stairs.

Brianne smiles dreamily as she watches him. He's the love of her life and has been the love of her life for the past nineteen years. Even after the rough patches in their relationship, she's still hopelessly in love with him. He's the first person that she sees in the morning and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Mom, you will not believe what Hadley did!" Allie says as she walks into the living room. Brianne looks at Hadley, who is smiling nervously as she hides behind Mason. Her brother smirks and pushes her in front of him, as if he's saying 'Have at her, mom."

"What did she do?" Brianne sighs.

"She volunteered us for the End Of The Year talent show when she knew that I didn't want to audition." Allie says. "Now my whole drama class probably expects to see me at the auditions tomorrow and I'll have to find a song to sing and I'll make a fool out of myself in front of everyone."

"Hadley, you knew that your sister didn't want to do it." Brianne says sternly.

"That's what I told her!" Mason says.

"Mason, stay out of it." Brianne says calmly.

"Mom, Leighton was being a jerk and I just wanted to help Allie out." Hadley says. "I think this would be the perfect way to get some payback for her annoying attitude."

"Honey, I know that your intentions were good, but you can't volunteer Allie for something that she doesn't want to do it. Now if you want to audition, that's fine, but you shouldn't volunteer others without asking them first. Understand?"

"I understand." Hadley sighs. All she wanted to do was help her sister. Leighton thinks that Allie isn't talented enough for Hollywood Arts, but if she could see Allie sing, she would be proven wrong. Hadley could help her get over her stage fright. The talent show is a great way to start. She doesn't know why everyone is mad because she volunteered Allie for this. It would be a good thing for her to get up there and show everyone that she _can _perform. Hadley knows that she's capable, but she's going to have to perform if she wants people to see that she's good enough for this school.

"Allie, are you sure you don't want to audition?" She asks. "I could even help you pick a song!"

"Hadley..." Allie and Brianne start to say.

"Do Skyscraper!" Hadley suggests. "Everyone loves that song."

Brianne has to smile. Skyscraper is one of her older songs. She would secretly be honored if Allie performed the song for the audition. You know, if she chooses to do it. Now she kind of hopes that Allie will decide to audition. She has heard the girl sing in the shower and she has a decent voice. Some vocal lessons would help her a lot, but she's got talent.

"I'll think about it." Allie sighs. "But I'm not making any promises."

"Hey, where's Dad?" Mason asks.

"He's taking a shower." Brianne says. She gets a smirk on her face. "He was all sweaty from rehearsal."

"You enjoy that, don't you?" Hadley asks.

"Um, yeah." Brianne says awkwardly. "It's nice."

"Yeah, I'm going upstairs." Hadley says, heading towards the staircase.

"I'm going to go and study for my English test." Allie sighs, walking out of the living room.

Mason watches Allie as she leaves, feeling irritated with Hadley for putting his twin on the spot like that. He knows better than anyone that Allie is terrified of performing after what happened in second grade. He was there when it happened and he promised her that he would never let that happen to her again. He promised to protect her from anything. When people are mean to her, he's the first to tell them to back off. He won't fight anyone because his parents would kill him, but he will use words to defend both of his sisters. Yes, as annoying as Hadley is, Mason wants to protect her too.

"Mom, I'm gonna hang out with Allie for a while." He says.

"Okay, sweetie." Brianne says, kissing his cheek.

Mason turns around and walks down the hallway until he reaches his and Allie's room. She's sitting on her bed with her English binder, studying the notes that she took while reading Of Mice and Men, the book that they've been studying. Mason sits next to her and looks at the notes. He rests his head on her shoulder and sighs, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I need to study for that." He says.

"You can study with me if you want." Allie says. "Or I could make a copy of the notes."

"Make a copy of the notes." Mason says. "There's a copy machine in the office."

"Okay, I'll do that later." Allie says.

Mason gives her a hug and kisses her cheek, smiling whenever Allie puts her notes down and hugs his waist. He kisses her forehead and rubs her back.

"You know, If you want to get back at Hadley, we can always tell Mom and Dad about what she did at that party." He says, squeezing her even tighter.

"What did she do? I wasn't there." Allie asks him.

"She drank some Vodka and punched some guy in the nose." Mason says, letting her go. "I decided against telling Mom and Dad, but I just might change my mind if she insists on messing with you."

"You're too protective, you know that?" Allie laughs.

"Well, I've gotta protect my baby sister." Mason says, tickling her. She giggles and pushes his hands away. She sits on his lap and wraps her arms around his neck, giving him a hug. Mason is the best friend that she has. He's the one person in her grade that won't judge her for having stage fright and being a little on the nerdy side. He likes her nerdy side because she's able to help him with his homework. He's not the brightest person out there, but she's use to it. It's kind of funny because something can be totally obvious, yet he can still be confused.

"Do you think that I should audition?" She asks him.

"I don't know." Mason shrugs. "If you want to, I'll be there."

"Thanks, bro." She says, standing up. She grabs her English notes and smiles at him. "I'm gonna make a copy for you."

"Thanks."

She high fives him before walking to the office across the hallway, approaching the copy machine. She puts the notes on top of the scanner thing and presses copy.

* * *

><p>"Honey, I'm home!" Camille says, walking into her and Logan's apartment. No, they don't live at the Palm Woods anymore. These apartments have nothing to do with being famous or anything. Anyone can live here, including regular non celebrity people. Logan and Camille thought that it would be a perfect place to raise their family. After they got married, they tried living at the Palm Woods, but they moved out when Camille became pregnant. She likes the area where the apartment is located. It's really peaceful and quiet. Not to mention that paparazzi rarely hang around. Maybe every once in a while, but they aren't too bad.<p>

"Hey, how was work?" Logan asks, pulling her onto his lap.

"Good." Camille says, kissing him. "I have to work late tomorrow because we're holding auditions for the talent show."

"Can I watch? We're just going to listen to Jack's new song tomorrow,

"I would love for you to watch." Camille smiles, hugging him. "We're gonna have a lot of talented kids this year. It's gonna be hard to narrow it down to just twenty five people."

"I can imagine." Logan says.  
>"Alright, where is my little man?" Camille asks, standing up.<p>

"He's in his room." Logan says. "I told him to start his homework, then I promised to play a video game with him. You know, the one that we got him for Christmas."

Camille kisses his cheek before walking to Chris's room. She smiles when she sees her son sitting at his desk, doing his work. Chris is a very smart little boy. He makes mostly A's in his classes and his parents are very proud of him. He doesn't go to Hollywood Arts, so Camille doesn't get to see a lot during the day. He goes to Lincoln Elementary School. It's not too far from Hollywood Arts. It's about ten miles away, so Camille is usually able to pick him up after she gets off of work. When she or Logan can't pick him up, she usually gets Brianne or Jo to do it. They're his favorite aunts, so he doesn't seem to have a problem with that. Tomorrow, Logan is going to pick him up.

"Doing okay, honey?" She asks him. "Need any help?"

"No." Chris says, obviously focused on the homework.

"What subject is this?" Camille asks him.

"Social Studies." Chris tells her.

"Well, that's your best subject." Camille says, playing with his hair. "You know, if you ever want to ask anything about History, I'm sure that Allie would be glad to help."

"I'm fine, mom." Chris sighs. Camille smiles as she kisses the top of his head. He's a very serious person. He's not like other boys. She likes that he doesn't try to be like everyone else. She always tells him that it's important for him to be his own person and not worry about what other people think about him.

"Okay, i'm gonna let you finish your work." She says before walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>"You know, James and Brianne need to learn that it doesn't hurt to spank a teenager." Jessica says through a mouthful of jerk. She and Tara are standing in the middle of their kitchen. Tara just told her about the stunt that Hadley pulled at school today. "I mean, most teenagers are too old for spankings, but Hadley could use one. Maybe your dad should convince them to send her to military school like he suggested. If she doesn't like it, too bad!"<p>

"Mom, that's a little harsh." Tara says, sitting on the kitchen island. "But I thought that it was real stupid of her to do that. You don't just volunteer someone for a talent show without asking them if they want to do it, especially when they can barely manage to perform an acting exercise without throwing up."

"Hey, believe it or not, your dad knows a thing or two about discipline."

"Wasn't Grandpa a cop?"

"Uh huh." Jessica says, closing the bag of jerky. "That's where your dad got his parenting skills from."

"He acts like a drill sergeant." Tara says.

"Oh, he's not that bad." Jessica says. She helps tara down and starts messing with her bangs. "Girl, you need a haircut. I'm calling my stylist and getting you an appointment. "

"Mom, I don't need a haircut." Tara says.

"Yes, you do." Jessica says. "You don't want to look like a hobo. Did I ever tell you about that trip to Mandelino? We got arrested, then we escaped and went to Sydney. Well, there were a bunch of hobos all over the place. Guess what? A lot of them had long hair and it looked discussing. You would look beautiful with shoulder length hair. No daughter of mine is going to have hobo hair."

"Mom." Tara whines.

"Don't be such a whiner." Jessica says, playfully slapping her behind the head.

"Whatever." Tara says, pushing a few strands of brown hair away from her face. "Hey, I'm auditioning for that talent show."

"Promise me that you won't embarrass yourself?"

"Mom!"

"Okay, I'm sorry." Jessica laughs.

"Where's dad?"

"In the living room." Jessica says. "He's watching hockey again."

"Ooh, I wanna watch hockey!" Tara says, running to the living room.

Jessica smiles and shakes her head. Tara is so much like her father. She loves hockey, she loves singing, and she loves jumping off of stuff. When she was about eleven years old, she and her father jumped off the diving board and into the Palm Woods pool. When she said that Carlos acts like a drill sergeant, she meant that he's tough when it comes to discipline. Since she rarely gets into serious trouble, he rarely has to discipline her. As for Jessica, she's the fun parent. She's the one that takes Tara shopping and buys her the cool clothes. She also gives her daughter boy and friend advice.

She had never though that she would have kids, but since she did, she really likes it. What can she say? Having a daughter is fun.

* * *

><p>"Alright, how is my beautiful and pregnant wife doing?" Kendall asks, giving Jo a hug.<p>

"I'm tired and hungry." Jo says, eating from a bag of potato chips. "And my back hurts."

"That explains the heating pad." Kendall says. He adjusts his position on the couch and leans in to give Jo a kiss.

"I feel like a pig." Jo complains, handing the bag to Kendall.

"You just have a few more weeks to go." Kendall says, rubbing her shoulder.

"Kendall, I eat anything edible." Jo whines. "And my feet hurt! I can't walk without my feet aching. "I was reading through my old New Town High scripts yesterday and I decided to act out one of the scenes. Yes, I do that. Don't judge me. Anyway, my feet hurt so bad afterward. I'm serious. I'm about to lose my mind."

"Like Jessica says, you can't lose what you never had." Kendall jokes.

"Jerk!" Jo says, slapping his arm. "You're mean."

"Okay, I was kidding." Kendall says, hugging her again. "Where's Don?"

"Donald Knight, that's not it!" Leighton yells from the office.  
>"What is Leighton doing here?" Kendall asks her.<p>

"They got partnered up for a science project." Jo says. "But they've been fighting over it ever since they got home. I would tell them to shut up, but I'm too tired to move. Could you do it for me? They're giving me a headache."

Kendall kisses her forehead before walking to the office. He looks at the two teenagers

"Hey." He says, leaning against the doorframe.

Leighton stops arguing with Donald long enough to give Kendall a smile and say...

"Hello, Mr. Knight."

"You kids need to be quiet." Kendall says. "Mrs. Knight isn't feeling too great. She really needs some peace and quiet."

"We're so sorry." Leighton says apologetically. "We're trying to find some info for our science project and Mason keeps researching the wrong thing."  
>As she says that, she slaps Donald's arm.<p>

"You gotta take a chill pill, drama queen." Donald retorts, pinching her stomach.

"Don, that's not the way to treat a lady." Kendall warns.

"Sorry, dad." Donald says.

"Alright, just keep it down, okay?" Kendall says,

"We'll be quiet, Mr. Knight." Leighton says politely.

"Thanks." Kendall says with a smile. "Good luck on your project."

He walks out of the room and returns to the living room.

"They said that they'll be quiet." He says, sitting next to his wife.

"Thanks for telling them, baby." Jo says, resting her head on his shoulder. "Why were they even arguing?"

"Our wonderful son kept looking up the wrong info for their project." Kendall tells her. "I think he was just doing it to irritate Leighton."

"What a lady's man." Jo says sarcastically.

"He got it from me." Kendall teases, giving her a kiss.

"Don't say that." Jo whispers in mock horror. "He's too young for a girlfriend!"

"Jo, he's fourteen."

"I don't care."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, a double update! ;) Anyway, thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far! :)<strong>


	5. Big Time Audition

"Are you ready?" Brianne asks, pushing Allie's hair away from her face. Allie is going to give this audition a try, but she does not feel good about this. She feels sick to her stomach and she's getting a headache. Maybe she should turn around and walk away. Let Hadley audition! Allie shouldn't have to go up and worsen her reputation by trying to make people believe that she's a good singer. People already think that she isn't good enough for this school, but they'll _know _that she's not good enough if she auditions. People always tell her "I can't believe that you're related to Mason Diamond! He's so talented and you're just...not.." Why will people say now? Oh my gosh, she's freaking out. She needs to get out of here before she pukes all over this fancy white tile floor. Even worse, she might throw up onstage.

"I can't do this." She says in a dazed voice. "I have to get out of here!"

Brianne sighs as she looks at James. This situation calls for the man of the house. When Allie is nervous, James is the one that can calm her down. Sometimes Brianne thinks that Allie is closer to her father anyway. Why wouldn't she be? He's not uptight and he's a lot better at handling nervous teenagers.

"Jay?" She asks.

"Let me deal with her." James says. Brianne squeezes his hand before walking to the auditions.

Once Brianne is gone, James grabs Allie's shoulders. Her breathing is shallow and she looks like she's going to have one of her panic attacks. She won't be able to perform if she's having a panic attack, so he needs to hurry up and calm her down. He believes in her. Brianne believes in her. All of her family and friends believe in her. The only person that doesn't believe in her is herself. He's going to make sure that she knows that she can do this. She will rock at this audition. He needs to tell her that because she obviously doesn't believe it.

"Hey, you're gonna be fine." He says, giving her a hug. "Just go up there and show them what you're made of, okay?"

"What if I mess up?" Allie asks him.

"You won't mess up." James says, stroking her cheek. "You are a great singer and actress. You can do this!"

Allie takes a deep breath and looks at her dad. Maybe she should take his reassurance to heart. She can do this! She's the daughter of James Diamond and Brianne Rocque. She has their genes and surely she must have inherited some of their talent, right? Maybe not, but she can pretend that she does.

"Let's go." She says, turning around and walking down the hallway. They finally reach the double doors and enter the auditorium. Hadley is onstage with Leighton and Kayla. Apparently, Mrs. Hartley asked them to do a group auditions. As much as Hadley and Leighton can't stand each other, she thinks that their voices work well together. So they will be doing a pop rendition of the classic rock song "Eye Of The Tiger". Allie can feel her anxiety coming back. Hadley is probably going to be awesome and Allie is going to look all awkward and stupid.

"Girls, get into position." Mrs. Hartley says. She is a an older woman that has been working at Hollywood Arts for the past fifteen years. She can be tough, but everyone says that she's a great acting teacher. Of course, Camille lets her know when she's being too hard on the students. Mrs. Hartley usually doesn't listen, but at least Camille tries to bring it to her attention.

"So...What did you think?" Leighton asks Mrs. Hartley after they have finished singing. Allie can see Camille staring at her fingernails, waiting for Mrs. Hartley's impending criticism.

"Eh, you were a little off on the high notes." Mrs. Hartley says. Hadley grins at Leighton's shocked expression. She was probably expecting compliments. She probably doesn't even earn most of the compliments that she gets. Many of the teachers at Hollywood Arts are just afraid that Hilary will threaten to sue the school. One time, a teacher yelled at Leighton for being rude to another student, so she called Hilary and started crying. That's when Hilary decided the show up the next day and reprimand the teacher for making her baby girl cry and said that if they ever do it again, she won't hesitate to get a lawyer and sue this place for all it's worth.

"Next is...Allie Diamond?" Camille says, looking at the sign up list. Allie looks at her parents and Mason with fear as she walks to the stage. She can hear a few people in the audience whispering while staring at her. She's going to have to throw up after this. She can already feel it.

"What will you be singing, Miss Diamond?" Mrs. Hartley asks. Allie gulps. Mrs. Hartley is going to hate her performance. She just knows it. It's not easy to impress Mrs. Hartley. It takes a special performer to do that.

"I will be singing...Skyscraper." She says nervously, clearing her throat. Camille gives her a reassuring smile as she presses the play button on the stereo. Allie takes a deep breath and begins to sing.

_After singing a few lines, she stops and looks out into the audience. Her parents, Mason, and Hadley are sitting in the back, watching her with worry. She has to sing. If she doesn't sing, no one will ever see her as being good enough for this school. She has to do it. She just has to._

But a single comment makes that crash to the ground.

"I knew she wasn't good enough."

"I...I can't do this." She says before running off the stage. She rushes through the wide door and towards the empty Asphalt Cafe, where the students have lunchtime. She runs behind a wall and slides to the floor. She gasps for air, desperately trying to breath. When she gets nervous, she has really bad panic attacks. She needs to control this before it gets out of hand. She needs to calm down and realize that one bad audition isn't the end of the world. Mason and Hadley always tell her to stop caring about what other people think. Oh, who is she kidding? She'll never be as talented as her brother and sister. She'll be nothing more than a smart brain and a pretty face.

"Allie?" Camille's worried voice says. When she finds Allie, her eyes fill with sympathy. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Not really." Allie says. "That was awful."

"You were doing good until the end." Camille tells her. "What scared you?"

"Everyone was staring at me." Allie tells her. "I can't handle people staring at me!"

"Look, you'll get the hang of it." Camille tells her. "And you gave this audition a try. That's what matters. You _tried."_

"Anyway," She adds. "Your parents are waiting outside the auditorium."

"Okay." Allie sighs, standing up. She and Camille walk back into the building and she covers her face as she walks down the aisle. A few people snicker as she walks by. Camille was wrong. She'll never get the hang of it. This was the audition for the End Of The Year talent show. She's a senior. This was her last chance to prove herself, but she screwed it up.

"WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP LAUGHING AT THIS UNFORTUNATE MISFIT?" Mr. Chambers, one of the Choir teachers, shouts. Allie groans as she pushes the double doors open. She is dragged into a hug by James and Brianne, sighing sadly as they tighten their arms around her.

"You want me to beat up the jerks that are laughing?" Hadley asks.

"You don't need to get suspended." James says.

"Honey, what happened?" Brianne asks Allie.

"I got nervous." Allie sighs. "And I freaked out."

"If it makes you feel any better, I thought you were really good." Kayla says, walking over to her.

"Thanks." Allie says as she hugs Mason.

"When we get home, I'll make you a smoothie." Brianne says, squeezing her daughter.

"Mom, I'm fine." Allie says, gently pulling out of her grip.

"I knew you couldn't do it." Leighton says in a sing song voice before walking to the restroom. Hadley starts to follow her, but James puts his arm around her. Hadley clenches her jaw angrily and stands wit her back against the wall, crossing her arms. She flattens the collar of her black leather jacket, a Christmas present that she got from Jessica.

"I can't believe that you and her mom were best friends." She tells Brianne.

"Well, Hilary could be snobby, but she was never a mean girl." Brianne sighs. "I wonder if she knows about Leighton's behavior."

"Mom, everyone knows about Leighton's behavior!" Mason says in disbelief.

"It's great that takes her performing seriously, but she shouldn't taunt those who don't have the ability." Hadley says. Allie looks at her with horror.

"Way to make me feel better!" She exclaims.

"Let's just go home." James says, giving Allie another hug. He kisses the top of her head as they walk out the front doors. They are approached by the paparazzi, who are wildly snapping pictures of the famous family. Mason and Hadley are the only ones that bother to acknowledge the photographers. They aren't serious celebrities yet, but they do get noticed for having celebrity parents. They are usually pretty friendly to the paparazzi, answering questions that they have and giving a friendly smile. Otherwise, they just mind their own business and keep walking.

They all get into the van and head back home.

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna check my Facebook." Hadley says, grabbing her lap top. She logs into her account and growls quietly. Leighton made a comment about Allie and a few of her friends decided to comment. Kayla and Donald defended Allie, though. At least there are a few nice people at Hollywood Arts. Most of the other students only care about becoming famous.<p>

**Leighton Carson: ** I totally LOL'd at Allie Diamond's audition:D

_Comments_

_** Alicia Harris:** I know, right? She's so pathetic_

_** Morgan Parks:** How did she even get into Hollywood Arts?_

_**Leighton Carson:** Who knows? _

_** Alicia Harris:** Her mommy and daddy probably payed the school_

_**Donald Knight:** You drama queens are a bunch of untalented skunk bags. _

_**Leighton Carson:** Defending your girlfriend, Don?_

_**Donald Knight:** She's not my girlfriend!_

**_Leighton Carson: _**_Oh, I forgot. You're in love with her sister. I don't know why! I mean, the whole Diamond family is talentless_

_**Alicia Harris:** I can't believe that you called us untalented skunk bags!_

_**Donald Knight:** Find a bridge and get over it_

_**Kayla Zevon:** Leighton, you need to stop acting like you're better than everyone else. You may have brainwashed your mom, but not everyone is that stupid._

"Man, Mason, Kayla knows how to give out a good insult!" Hadley laughs.

"What did she say?" Mason asks, sitting next to her.

"Look." Hadley grins, showing him the comment.

"Told you she was amazing." Mason says dreamily.

"Stop drooling, lover boy." Hadley says, pushing him away.

"Hadley, you better not be starting a stupid argument over Facebook!" Brianne says from the kitchen.

"Oh, the argument has already started!"

"Then I don't want you contributing to it!" Brianne says. "Why don't you help me with the smoothie?"

"Fine." Hadley says, closing her laptop. She walks to the kitchen and hands a bag of blueberries to her mom. She looks over the bar, seeing Allie sitting at the dining table with her face down. James is rubbing her back and whispering to her, but she doesn't seem to be responding. Hadley seriously feels bad for getting her into this. If she had just kept her mouth shut, Allie wouldn't be feeling so upset. Hadley knows that she wants to be taken seriously as a performer at Hollywood Arts, but she's never going to get that chance now. All because of Hadley.

"Hon, don't feel bad." Brianne says, noticing Hadley's dejected expression.

"Maybe we can fix this!" Hadley says desperately.

"Just let it go." Brianne says, putting some blueberries in the blender.

"Yeah." Allie sighs, sitting up. "it's over."

"Maybe Mrs. Hartley will give you a second chance!" Hadley insists. "I mean, you were doing fine until the very end. Maybe she won't pay attention to the bad part!"

"Mrs. Hartley pays attention to everything!" Mason tells her. "She's not going to accept anything less than perfect."

"Oh, like every performer is so perfect!" Hadley laughs. "I saw some of the other auditions. They weren't that great either. how about that ventriloquist guy? He was horrible! There was a dancer that kept tripping over her own two feet. Allie wasn't the only bad audition. Aside from me, Leighton, and Kayla, the others were just pathetic."

"I was good, right?" Mason asks sadly. He performed "Stuck" with his guitar. Allie was practicing her song in the hallway, so she didn't get to see it. James and Brianne said that he was really good, though.

"You were wonderful, bud." James says.

"Okay." Mason says quietly.

"I just hate that I won't be able to perform with the senior group." Allie says.

"What's that?" James asks.

"All of the seniors that are accepted into the talent show are going to perform a musical number." Mason says. "It's a really big deal."

"I'm sure you'll be accepted, Mase." Allie says.

"I'm not going to do it if you're not in the show." Mason tells her.

Allie smiles softly. At least her family is supportive. The Diamond family may be a little crazy, but they always support each other. They defend each other when it's necessary. A few of Hadley's partying pics ended up in Hollywood Insider when she was fourteen and the whole family stood up for her. She didn't seem to care that people were accusing her of going down the same path as her mom, so she didn't find it necessary for them to comment on the scandal, but they did it anyway. Truthfully, it made her happy. it's good to know that her family stands up for her even when she makes a mess out of things.

"Everything will be okay." James says, kissing Allie's head. "You're graduating in five months."

"I know." Allie says, resting her head on his shoulder.

She may have ruined her audition, but she's grateful to have a supportive family.

**Songs:**

**Skyscraper-Demi Lovato**

* * *

><p><strong>There's gonna be some drama coming up. I'm looking forward to writing it:)<strong>

**"Stop laughing at this unfortunate misfit!" is from ICarly. I just couldn't resist having someone say that to Allie after her audition:P**

**Review!**


	6. A Rough Night

Brianne quietly watches James sleep. Big Time Rush has doing a lot of recording sessions, dance rehearsals, photo shoots, and interviews. So it's no surprise that James has been exhausted lately. To make things easier on him, Brianne tries to do something special for him when he gets home. She likes to give him back and shoulder rubs, lots of hugs and kisses, and she loves making his favorite snacks. After she made Allie's consolation smoothie, she made a smoothie for her wonderful husband. He seemed to really appreciate that. After all, his face just lit up whenever she handed the smoothie to him. To make it even more romantic, she said "I love you" and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Now it's night time, so she can finally have some alone time with him. Sure, he's asleep, but she can still enjoy looking at him without the constant excitement of raising three kids.

She plays with his hair, smiling when he buries his face in the crook of her neck. She reaches out to rub his arm, sighing when he drapes his arm over her waist. When he gives her a gentle squeeze, she giggles and gives him a loving kiss. Then she grabs his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

She is about to fall asleep when her cell phone rings. She grabs it off the bedside table, looking at the caller ID. It says that Hilary's calling. Why would she call? For the past few years, they haven't really been as close as they use to do. Brianne, Jessica, Hilary, and Lindsey were always best friends. However, Jessica really the only one that stayed in the group. After Hilary and Lindsey married their husbands, they went their separate ways. In fact, Brianne hasn't seen or heard from either one of them in months. She almost feels worried that Hilary is calling her.

"Hello?" She whispers.

"Brie?" Hilary asks weakly. "Could you come to Cedars Sinai? Leighton and her friend Alicia were in a car accident."

"What happened?" Brianne asks, pushing the covers off of herself.

"Alicia's cousin picked them up from the talent show audition and they had a head on collision with some pick up truck." Hilary cries. "I had gotten home from a meeting with my agent and I got a call from the hospital. The accident was really bad, Brianne. My daughter is hurt really bad. I really need you, Lindsey, and Jessica here."

"Okay, I'll be there." Brianne tells her before hanging hanging up. She shakes James awake. She can't believe what Hilary just told her. As hateful as Leighton can be, she's still Hilary's daughter. Brianne may not talk to Hilary much, but they were best friends once! It's natural for her to be concerned.

"What?" James asks tiredly.

"We have to get to the hospital. Hilary called and said that Leighton was in a car accident."

As soon as James heres that, he jumps out of bed. As annoying as Hilary can be, she's still one of Brianne's best friends. She may have been obsessed with Logan, nearly ruined Logan and Camille's relationship, been dangerously stupid, and irritated everyone, but she was still an important part of Brianne's life. Of course, he isn't a big fan of Leighton because she's mean to his daughter, but her mom obviously needs some comfort. Frankly, James doesn't wanna be the one to give it to her, but he'll do it for Brianne.

"KIDS, GET UP!" He shouts. ""WE HAVE TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL!"

A couple minutes later, all three kids are running into their parents room, obviously concerned. That concern turns to confusion when they see that neither James or Brianne is hurt. At least, they don't look like it. Why are they wanting to go to the hospital if they aren't hurt or sick?

"Leighton and Alicia were in a car accident." Brianne says as she pushes them out the door.

"Someone finally decided to teach them a lesson?" Hadley asks.

"Hadley, just get in the car." James says as he gets into the drivers seat.

"What actually happened?" Allie asks, slapping Hadley behind her head.

"They were riding home with Alicia's cousin when a pick up truck crashed into them." Brianne explains as James pulls out of the garage. "It was a head on crash."

"Did Hilary say if they're okay?" Mason asks.

"No." Brianne says worriedly. She runs a hand through her hair, anxiously looking out the window.

* * *

><p>James finds a parking space and they all jump out of the car, running into the ER. They rush to the waiting room, ignoring the protests from hospital staff members. Hilary is sitting in a chair with Lindsey sitting next to her. Her cheeks have dried up tear stains, so it's obvious that she got some bad news.<p>

"Is everything okay?" Brianne asks, sitting on her other side.

"No." Hilary says tearfully, dabbing her eyes with a kleenex.

"What's wrong?" Brianne asks her.

"I'll tell her." Lindsey whispers before looking at Brianne. "Alicia and her cousin were pronounced dead upon arrival, but Leighton survived. Unfortunately, she's paralyzed from the waist down. The doctor said that the chances of her walking again are very small. She's probably going to be in a wheel chair for the rest of her life."

As she speaks those words, Hilary starts sobbing again.

"Hey, what happened?" Jessica asks as she, Carlos, and Tara run into the waiting room.

"Alicia and her cousin are gone and Leighton is paralyzed from the waist down." Brianne says gently.

"Gone? As in...You know..." Tara says quietly, looking at her parents.

"Jess, tell your daughter to shut up." Hilary says tiredly, sitting up.

"Tara, be quiet." Jessica says as she sits next to Brianne.

"Try to be sensitive." Carlos whispers to his daughter.

Allie frowns as she watches the scene around her. Two of the meanest girls in school were in a fatal car accident. The accident took Alicia's life and ruined Leighton's. How will this change the girl? Will she change? Or will she be as mean and obnoxious as she's always been? Allie feels bad that this happened, but she's wondering if this might cause Leighton to change her ways.

"Can you believe this?" Tara whispers.

"No." Allie responds.

"I wonder if she can have visitors." Tara asks.

"Let's find out." Mason whispers to them, dragging both girls out of the room. They walk down the hallway until they arrive at the ICU. The doors open automatically and the three teens walk down the hallway, looking through the window of each reason. They keep looking, becoming frustrated until they come to the very last room. Leighton is on the hospital bed, a blank look on the girls face. Her face is littered with bruises and cuts, but a white hospital gown is covering her other injuries. The resident drama queen is probably grateful for that.

"Should we go in?" Allie asks quietly. "She doesn't look like she wants visitors."

"That's just an act." Tara says, rolling her eyes. "She's obviously lonely."

"Let's just go." Mason says, pushing the door open. When Leighton hears their footsteps, she slowly turns her head to look at them. They gasp as they get a good look at her. Her right eye is swollen shut. The girl that normally looks so fashionable and cool suddenly looks like the exact opposite.

"What?" She asks weakly.

"Well, we heard what happened, so we...Um...we..." Allie stammers. Leighton glares at the three people in front of her with her one good eye. Even at her worst, she still manages to be as rude to them as she always has. No surprise, right? She came to school after having a bad case of the flu once, claimed that she still felt terrible, yet she still managed to act as the school mean girl. She still taunted less talented students and picked on the new freshmen.

"We wanted to make sure that you were okay!" Mason tells her.

"Well, do I look like i'm okay?" Leighton asks with an strangely calm tone. "Answer that question for me."

"No." Tara says. "In fact, you look far from it."

"Get out." Leighton growls. When they still don't leave, she raises her voice even louder. "GET OUT!"

They sigh as they turn around and leave, closing the door behind them. She obviously doesn't want anyone around, so they better leave her alone.

"You know, she was probably a shoo in for the talent show." Tara says. "Now she definitely won't be able to perform."

"They'll find a replacement for her." Allie says as they return to the ER waiting room. A doctor is talking to Hilary, quietly explaining some things to her. After a few more minutes, her shakes her hand before turning around and walking away.

"What happened?" Allie asks.

"The doctor said that Leighton needs to go to a rehab center." Hilary explains. "He recommended one in Florida. He says that this place is one of the best in the country It's called The Miami Hope Center. I think that it'll be a good thing for her. It'll help her become independent again. I'm going to drop out of my new movie so I can go with her."

"Good luck." Brianne says, hugging her.

"Thank you." Hilary says, returning the hug. "Now I want you all to go home and get some rest. You shouldn't have to stay here because of me."

"If you need anything, let us know." Brianne says as she grabs her purse. "Okay?"

"Okay." Hilary says, wiping her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Ready to get some sleep?" James whispers to Brianne, kissing her forehead. They just got home and the kids immediately went back to bed. He decided to make some coffee for himself and Brianne, so they're just sitting on the couch together. Occasionally, Brianne takes a sip from her cup, but she mostly cuddles against James.<p>

"In a minute." She says, drinking her coffee. She sighs as she finishes the drink, putting the empty cup on the coffee table. She kisses James cheek and takes a deep breath. "I just can't believe what happened to Leighton and Alicia. I know that they weren't the nicest people, but I still feel bad."

"Hey, it shows that you have a heart." James whispers. "It would be mean if you didn't care."

"I just don't know what to do." Brianne says, looking at him.

"There's nothing that you can do." James tells her. "Everything will work out."

"Remember that accident that you were in? The one while I was pregnant with Allie and Mason?"

"Yeah." James sighs. Even today, he hates thinking about it. It was a horrible experience that he never wants to remember. He doesn't even know why Brianne is bringing it up. It happened when he was nineteen. There's no point in talking about it now. It's over! It's in the past.

When Brianne sees the look on James face, she sighs and gives him a hug.

"Jay, I'm sorry." She whispers, kissing him. "I didn't mean to bring it up."

"Don't worry about it." James says, trying to stand up. Brianne keeps a tight hold on his hand as she stands up with him. She hugs him from behind, kissing the side of his neck.

"Really, I'm sorry." She says, kissing the back of his head.

"I know." James says quietly as they walk up the stairs.

Brianne wishes that she hadn't said anything. James can talk about the accident, but anyone with eyes can tell that it hurts for him to do that. Why wouldn't it? It was a traumatic experience for him. He wouldn't want to relive the incident.

"Hey, let's make sure that Hadley is in bed." He says, peeking into Hadley's room. Sure enough, she's fast asleep in her bed with her hair sprawled out over the pillow. James chuckles lightly and walks into the room, leaning over to kiss her forehead, whispering "Sleep tight, baby girl." before standing up and leading Brianne to their room. He is about to crawl into bed when he feels Brianne squeezing his hand. As he turns around, she pulls him into a passionate kiss. Even though he was upset about her mentioning the accident, he still smiles into the kiss.

"Okay, I'm done." Brianne says as she pulls away.

"Um, okay?" James asks with a small laugh.

* * *

><p>"Dad, can you drive me and Hadley to school today?" Allie asks.<p>

"Sure." James yawns, putting his magazine on the coffee table. "But why can't Mason take you?"

"He went to school with Kayla and he'll kill us if we take his car."

"Okay, then." James says, putting his black hooded jacket on.

"HADLEY, DAD"S GONNA TAKE US!" Allie calls out.

"Yelling wasn't necessary." Hadley says, walking out of the kitchen. She's eating a chocolate chip muffin, since Brianne was too tired to make breakfast. The events of last night are still on their minds. It's really sad to think about, even if Leighton was a big jerk most of the time. And what about that Alicia girl? Dead at seventeen! It's not fair for someone so young to lose their life. No one should have to die young. Alicia had a long life ahead of her, but that was taken away last night. She's never gonna get the chance to graduate from high school, become famous, get married, have children, or anything else.

"I bet school is gonna be weird today." Hadley says as they get into the van.

"Dad, when will we know about Alicia's funeral?" Allie asks softly.

"I'm sure that we'll read about it in the newspaper." James says as he backs out of the driveway.

"I didn't like either one of those girls, but I actually feel sad about the accident." Hadley says, looking out the window. "I mean, they didn't really deserve what happened to them. They deserved a punch in the face, but not death or paralysis."

"Your mom and I talked about it last night." James tells them. "Everything is going to work out."

"How do you know?" Allie asks him.

"I just have a feeling about it?" James says awkwardly.

"And what about the talent show? I hate to sound selfish, but what if it gets cancelled? What happened to Leighton was terrible, but the show must go on, right? We can't cancel the show because of one person. Hollywood Arts has never cancelled the End Of The Year Talent Show before, so we can't start now"

"Hadley!" James says sternly. "I know that this show is important to you, but it's not the most important thing in the world. You still have two more years left at Hollywood Arts, okay? You'll get another chance to be in the talent show."

Hadley becomes quiet. When her dad starts talking like that, she knows that he's serious. She, Allie, and Mason always know when he's serious or joking. If he's joking, he has this playful glint in his eyes and he has a bit of laughter in his voice. When he's serious, the playful glint isn't there and his voice is stern, free of any joking or playful nature.

The rest of the ride is silent, except for breathing and the occasional sigh from James. He hates scolding his kids, but sometimes they need it. He knows how important this talent show is to Hadley, but she needs to realize that there are more important things in life. The show may get cancelled because of the accident or it may not. Either way, it doesn't matter. People got hurt and lives were lost. They should be more concerned about showing sympathy for everyone involved in the accident, rather than what might happen to the talent show.

James use to be just like Hadley. No matter what happened, he didn't want to miss an opportunity to perform. Now he's older and a lot of the stuff that he use to worry about just doesn't seem that important anymore. Yeah, he hates missing a concert, but if one of his friends got hurt and couldn't make it, he would be by their side. He wouldn't be worried about a stupid concert.

Finally, he pulls in front of Hollywood Arts.

"Bye, dad." Allie says.

"Bye, girls." James says, waving at them before leaving the parking lot.

"Alright, let's go." Hadley sighs as they walk into the school. They walk down the hallway until they reach Camille's classroom. The first thing they notice is the two empty seats at the front of the room. Morgan Parks is sitting in the desk next to Leighton's, staring at her desk. Allie and Hadley keep their eyes on her as they at their desks. The room is completely silent. Camille is sitting on the edge of her desk, waiting for all of the students to show up. Once every student is here, she decides to start class. There probably won't be a lesson, but she doesn't want her students doing nothing.

"Alright, I did have a lesson planned for you, but I've decided to cancel it." She says calmly. "Most of you probably heard what happened yesterday. Leighton and Alicia left the talent show auditions with Alicia's cousin when a truck crashed into them head on. There is going to be a memorial assembly on Friday from first through second period. If any of you are interested in making a speech or performing a song, you can talk to Mrs. Simmons in the counselors office. We are also having someone counseling services in the library, so if any of you guys need someone to talk to, we have some very nice counselors that are more than willing to listen."

"Um, Mrs. Mitchell?" Tara asks.

"Yes, Tara?" Camille asks.

"Has there been any more info about Leighton? I know that she and her mom are gonna go to Florida for her rehab, but I was wondering if anyone knows when she's getting out of the hospital."

"Well, I actually spoke to her mom and she will be getting out on Friday morning." Camille explains. "She may even attend Alicia's memorial ceremony."

The students all stay silent, except for Morgan. She whimpers and quickly jumps out of her seat, running from the room.

"Mrs. Mitchell, can Allie and I go for a walk or something?" Hadley asks, raising her hand.

"Of course." Camille says in understanding.

Hadley grabs Allie's arm and pulls her from the room.

"Why do we need to go for a walk?" Allie asks her.

"I just feel really weird about all this." Hadley says, standing with her back against a locker.

"We all do." Allie tells her.

"Part of me still hates both of them for being such jerks all the time, but a bigger part of me just feels bad." Hadley explains. "You know?"

"Yeah." Allie nods. "Like, you almost want to stay mad at them, but you just can't do it."

"We'd be pretty heartless if we didn't care." Hadley admits.

"Yeah." Allie sighs, resting her head on Hadley's shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Sad chapter:( But this is where it starts to get really interesting:D<strong>

**I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Review:) **


	7. Replacement

Camille sighs as she paces back and forth in Mrs. Hartley's classroom, looking at the list of performers for the talent show. So many talented kids, but they need one more. Leighton can't perform, so they need to fill her slot. They don't know what they're going to do about Alicia's. To Camille, it just doesn't seem right to fill her place. She's thinking about telling Mrs. Hartley to leave it empty, out of respect for Alicia. However, they need at least twenty four performers for a full show, so they have to replace Leighton. She won't be happy about it, but it has to happen. Camille wishes that she could still perform, but she can't. If she can't walk, she can't do the big dance number with Hadley and Kayla. They need to find another talented student to take her place. Someone that has potential to be a truly talented performer.

"Mrs. Hartley, do you have the list of people that we didn't pick?" She asks, putting the list on Mrs. Hartley's desk. The older woman nods and hands another sheet of paper to her. A long list of names fills the page, but most of them honestly weren't that great. Most of them were either terrible or mediocre. They can't have a mediocre performer in the show. Not only would that infuriate Leighton even more, but it would also ruin the show. Every year, they make sure to pick only the best performers. People that actually know how to entertain a great.

"I think we should leave Alicia's spot open." She says. "Out of respect, you know? It just doesn't feel right to just replace her."

"I was thinking the same thing." Mrs. Hartley sighs. "But we have to replace Leighton."

"I know." Camille says, sitting in a chair next to Mrs. Hartley's desk. She pushes some brown hair away from her face, looking at the list. She reads each name to herself until she comes to one particular person. This person may not be great yet, but she definitely has potential.

_Allie Diamond_

"I think we should give Allie a chance." She says.

"Camille, I don't think she has what it takes. We need some truly great performers for this show. She's terrified of being onstage. How will she make it in our show?" Mrs. Hartley says. "I know that you would like to see her get up there, but I really don't think that she can do it. I'm sorry, but it's the truth."

"Mrs. Hartley, I know that she isn't a great performer." Camille explains. "But she can become one by May! I'll train her myself. Besides, her parents are pop stars. They can help her too! She has a really good support group that can help her. You've gotta trust me on this. I see potential in her. She just needs someone to bring it out of her. Please, Mrs. Hartley. By May, she'll be amazing. I'll make sure of it!"

Mrs. Hartley sighs as she looks at Camille.

"Okay!" She says. "But I'm trusting you to turn her into a talented performer. Got that?"

When Camille nods, she continues.

"And you're gonna break the news to Leighton. Someone needs to tell her before she leaves for Florida tomorrow."

"I'll go right now!" Camille says as she grabs her purse. She waves at Mrs. Hartley before walking out of the room. She hates that she has to tell Leighton that Allie is going to replace her, but they have no choice. Leighton is never going to be able to perform again, but they can't cancel the talent show. It's too important to the students. They've never cancelled a show before and they aren't going to start now. As hard as it is to accept that Leighton is paralyzed and Alicia is dead, they have to do it. They have to continue with the show, even if it hurts.

She gets into her car and puts her purse in the front passengers seat before starting the car. She takes a deep breath as she backs out of the barking space. As she drives out of the parking lot, she can't get her mind off of the accident. She knows that there was a car accident, but she wonders what else might have happened. Why couldn't Alicia's cousin swerve out of the way before the truck hit them? Was the truck just moving too fast? Could that be it? She supposes that it doesn't really matter. A seventeen year old girl lost her life. She's never going to get a chance at life and i t's all because of some stupid car accident. Alicia wasn't always a nice person, but Camille could see some good in her. Truthfully, she thinks that Alicia only acted like a mean girl so she wouldn't be kicked out of the popular group. Believe it or not, cliques are all over the place at Hollywood Arts. Leighton, Alicia, and Morgan were the queen bees. Now their little group has been broken up. Camille wonders what will happen to Morgan. She doesn't really have a group anymore, so Camille is hoping that someone will be nice enough to let her hang out with them.

She gulps as she drives by the sight of the accident. They cleaned most of it up, but it's still scary to drive by the place. It isn't that far from the school. They had an article in the newspaper and it showed pictures of the two totaled cars, along with the victims being taken away in the ambulances. There were policemen and paramedics all over the place.

The driver of the pick up truck survived the accident, but he's in real bad condition. His chances of survival are real high, but the doctors say that he'll probably never be the same again. According to the police, the accident was just that...an accident. The guy wasn't drinking, he wasn't doing drugs, he didn't intentionally hit them. Camille knows this because Hilary told her. She said that she isn't going to stay angry at the man, but she can't help feeling a little resentful because the accident ruined her daughter's life. She said that Leighton's sinking farther into depression. According to her mom, she won't even speak to anyone. Her treatment at the Miami Hope Center is going to include counseling, along with her physical therapy.

Finally, Camille pulls into the Cedars Sinai parking lot. She parks the car and enters the hospital. She walks post the lobby and turns left, walking down the hallway until she reaches the ICU. She walks to the very end of the hallway until she reaches Leighton's room. Hilary is sitting on Leighton's bed, trying to convince her daughter to talk to her.

"Hi." Camille whispers. She smiles softly as Leighton turns her head to look at her teacher. She looks weak and emotionally drained. It's quite heartbreaking to watch. She went from being one of the most popular and talented girls in school to this hollow shell of a person. "Hilary, do you mind if I speak to Leighton alone?"

"Sure." Hilary says. She gives her daughter a sad smile and kisses her forehead before walking out of the room, quietly closing the door.

"Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" Camille asks Leighton, sitting on the bed. Leighton doesn't speak, but she shakes her head.

"You're not feeling okay?" Camille asks, wondering which question the girl is trying to answer. Leighton shakes her head in response. "I'm sorry about that."

Leighton sighs softly and sinks into the pillow.

"Listen, I need to tell you something important." Camille says gently. "We have to fill your slot in the talent show." When Leighton starts to protest, Camille gently shushes her. "I know that you don't want that, but it has to be done. We can't cancel the show, so we have to replace you. In fact, we've already found someone."

"Who?" Leighton mouths.

"Um, Allie Diamond." Camille says carefully. As soon as she says the name, Leighton starts struggling to pull herself into a sitting position. Camille quickly grabs her shoulders and forces her to lay back down. Leighton just shakes her head, an angered look on her face. She mouths "Not her!" and something else, but Camille doesn't understand the last part since Leighton refuses to speak. "Hon, I know that you don't believe that Allie can do it, but I'm going to make sure that she does great. You need to trust me. I'll make sure that she doesn't mess it up, okay?"

Leighton stammers silently. She obviously doesn't want anyone replacing her. Okay, how is Camille going to make her see that s_omeone _has to take her place? For her to be in the show, she needs the ability to walk, which she no longer has. She's having a hard time accepting that.

"Are you going to come and visit us tomorrow?" She asks, trying to get some actual words out of Leighton.

The girl sighs again and nods. She knows about Alicia's memorial ceremony, but Camille didn't want to mention it. Hilary says that no one is allowed to say that name around Leighton. She absolutely refuses to acknowledge that her best friend is dead. Since Alicia was two grades older, she was the one that Leighton always went to when she needed advice. Now that Alicia is gone, Leighton seems to feel like she's completely alone. She doesn't see that she has other people that want to help her and support her. Hilary is kind of hurt that her daughter would rather confide in a friend than her own mother.

"We'll see you there." Camille says, giving her hand a squeeze. Leighton looks at her with a tired expression, frowning deeply. "Bye."

Leighton doesn't respond to that either. Instead, she returns to staring ahead at the TV, which isn't even turned on.

"Hey, I'm back." Hilary says, walking over to her daughter;s bed. She kisses her on the forehead, then smiles at Camille. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Well, I really wanted to see her." Camille says. "Are you gonna talk to the press any time soon?"

"My agent wants me to." Hilary sighs. "He wants me to go on TV and do an interview about Leighton's condition, but I said no. I don't have time to do some pointless interview. Leigh and I are leaving for Florida tomorrow after the memorial. I'm just going to post a statement on my Scuttlebug account."

"You're doing the right thing by putting your career on hold." Camille tells her.

"My daughter is more important." Hilary says.

"Best of luck." Camille says. "Bye, Leighton."

"Sweetie, say bye." Hilary says gently. Instead of using words, Leighton just waves halfheartedly. Hilary sighs heavily and gives Camille a weak and apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." Camille says before walking out of the room. She closes the door and looks through the large window. Hilary is still trying to get some words out of Leighton, but it doesn't seem to be working. Hopefully, they'll work on that while she's in therapy. After staring at the mother and daughter for another minute, Camille turns around and walks away. Now she needs to tell Allie about her replacing Leighton in the show. It's going to be hard to convince her, but Camille is certain that it can be done. It shouldn't be too hard to convince her, right.

* * *

><p>Camille parks in the driveway of the Diamond house. She steps onto the porch and approaches the front door, ringing the doorbell. She hears someone shout "i'm coming" and she waits quietly. Finally, Mason opens the door.<p>

"Mrs. Mitchell?" He asks, confused by her presence.

"Mason, it's okay to call me Camille when we're not in school." Camille tells him. Mason shrugs and opens the door for her. "is Allie here? I need to speak with her."

"ALLIE!" Mason calls out. Seconds later, Allie walks into the hallway. She's wearing a pair of jeans and a plain white T shirt, along with her glasses. Her hair is pulled into a messy low bun.

"Hey." She says. "What's going on?"

"Well, Mrs. Hartley and I were looking through a list of possible replacements for Leighton." Camille explains. "And we chose you."

Allie starts coughing, so Mason slaps her on the back. She gasps for air until she starts breathing normally again.

"What?" She whispers loudly.

"Look, I see potential in you, Allie." Camille tells. "And I really think that, with a little training, you could be very talented."

"What about Leighton?" Allie asks. "She's going to throw a fit when she hears about this!"

"Actually, I already stopped by the hospital and told her. She wasn't happy about it, but she'll be fine." Camille reassures her. "Please, Allie. I know that you have a problem with stage fright, but I think that we can fix it. You've gotta trust me, though. You have me, your parents, Mason and Hadley, Gustavo, Kelly, and Jack to help you. We can turn you into a star. You just have to let us."

Allie gulps as she looks at Mason. She doesn't know about this. She gets scared when she has to speak in class. How will she perform in a talent show?

"Okay." She says.

"Thank you!" Camille says, giving her a hug. "We're going to make sure that you're amazing. Now I want to know where your parents are."

"In the kitchen." Allie says, rubbing her temples. Camille pats her arm before walking to the kitchen. She raises her eyebrows when she sees James and Brianne having a little make out session. Brianne is sitting on the kitchen island and James is standing in front of her with one arm around her waist and the other hand touching her cheek. They are kissing heavily while Brianne messes with his hair. Camille giggles quietly as Brianne places some gentle kisses on James neck, causing him to sigh softly. After enjoying the cute interaction between the couple, Camille makes her presence known by clearing her throat. James and Brianne stop kissing and look at her.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Brianne asks while she rubs James shoulders. James playfully bites her shoulder and she laughs as she pushes him away. "Babe, stop."

"I came to tell Allie that I want her to replace Leighton in the talent show." Camille explains.

"Really?" Brianne asks in surprise. "Is she going to do it?"

She smiles as James places a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I managed to convince her." Camille says. "But I'm going to need your help. We need to train her. You know, show her how to perform. Most importantly, we need to cure her stage fright. You in?"

"Sure." James says, hugging Brianne's waist.

"Awesome." Camille says. "Hey, I've gotta go home. Logan wants us to go out to dinner tonight."

"We'll see you at the memorial tomorrow." Brianne tells her.

"Of course." Camille says before turning around and walking to the front door. She hugs Allie and Mason, tells them to say hi to Hadley for her, then walks out the door.

* * *

><p>Donald Knight sighs as he approaches the door to Leighton's room. He doesn't go inside right away. For a while, he just looks through the window. She looks so vulnerable. She doesn't even look like Leighton Carson anymore. Her face is covered with bruises, her right eye is swollen, and she looks completely miserable. He can't believe that this girl use to be the person that alternated between yelling at him, teasing him, and flirting with him. He doesn't even recognize her anymore. He has never seen her look this broken before.<p>

He finally gets the courage to walk into the dimly lit room. The TV is playing some cartoon that Leighton enjoys, but she's barely paying attention to it. There's a plate of pizza on the small counter attached to it, but she only picks at it. She grabs a black olive off the pizza and eats it, but doesn't try to eat the whole pizza. She really needs to eat something, but Donald doesn't know if he can convince her.

"Hey." He says, sitting by her bed. "Are you gonna eat that?"

Leighton shrugs.

"Hey, you need to eat something." Don says. "Your mom is freaking out and the nurses are going to force feed you if you don't eat. I'm pretty sure that force feeding isn't fun, so I would highly recommend eating this.""

Leighton glares at him and picks the pizza up, tearing a big piece off and stuffing it into her mouth. After she has swallowed, she sticks her tongue out at him. Then she eats the rest of the pizza, pushing the small counter to the side of the bed. She crosses her arms and glares at Don, frowning when he shrugs. She grabs the tray off the small counter, motioning for him to get closer. He reluctantly obeys and yells when the tray makes contact with his head.

"Why'd you do that?" He asks, rubbing his head. Leighton smirks and shrugs. "Man, you're a jerk."

Leighton sighs and grabs the remote, throwing it at him.

"What? You want me to change the channel?" Don asks. Leighton shrugs again, mouthing "Don't care."

"Leigh, I can't really understand what you're saying if you won't talk."

Leighton sighs and gives him a tired look, silently saying "I don't want to do this right now."

"Okay." Don sighs. "Is there a list of channels?"

Leighton points to something on the bedside table. Don grabs it and looks at the list, deciding on some random sports channel. The channel is showing a hockey game and Leighton sighs loudly, rolling her eyes. Being a girl, she probably doesn't care about watching hockey.

"Hey, you gave me the remote." Don says, giving her a playful shove. She slaps his hand away, giving him a threatening look. He sighs as he sits in the chair by her bed. He wishes that she would say _something._ If she wants to yell at him for whatever reason, he doesn't care. He just wants her to speak.

"Hey, I've been working on a song." He tells her. "Wanna hear it?"

Leighton nods eagerly, trying to sit up.

"Hey, take it easy." Don chuckles, ruffling her hair. Once again, she pushes his hand away.

Leighton motions for him to hurry up, so he starts singing.

**_("Tears Of An Angel" by RyanDan)_**

He looks at Leighton, silently asking for her thoughts. When she claps, he knows that she liked it. He isn't going to tell her right now, but he's planning on performing it at Alicia's memorial tomorrow. He knows that Leighton is attending and he wants to do something special for her friend. He just hopes that it doesn't upset her. She likes it now, but she might not be so excited when she realizes what he wrote it for.

"I see you got her to eat." Hilary says, entering the room.

"Finally." Don says.

"Honey, I got you something." Hilary tells her daughter, taking a light blue teddy bear from behind her back. Sky blue is Leighton's favorite color and Hilary was excited when she found this teddy bear in the hospital gift shop.

She hands the bear to Leighton, who cuddles it tightly.

"Hey, she likes it." Don says. He doesn't know why Leighton couldn't act this adorable all the time. Before the accident, she could be mean, obnoxious, and annoying. Now she seems so innocent, like she couldn't hurt a fly. He would rather have her mean and healthy than adorable and injured, but he can't help noticing her sudden cuteness. She doesn't look great, but her personality is pretty cute.

"Thank you for stopping by, Don." Hilary says.. "I'm sure Leighton appreciates it."

"I've missed her." Don says, smiling at Leighton. He and Hilary laugh as Leighton buries her face in the teddy bear's head. "Leigh, I'm gonna go, okay?"

Leighton gives him a thumbs up before hugging her teddy bear again.

"Ms. Carson, can I ask you something?" He asks Hilary.

"Sure." Hilary says quietly.

"Why won't she talk?" Don asks. "Mason says that she yelled at him, Allie, and Tara when they visited. Now she doesn't talk at all."

"She slipped into this muteness shortly after the accident." Hilary explains, making sure that Leighton can't hear here. "The doctors say that she's showing the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She's trying to act happy, but she won't say a word to anyone. When she communicates, she either mouths the words or motions with her hands. She had a nightmare last night. I was at my house when I got a call saying that she woke up screaming. So I came over here and had to calm her down. It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. It took ten minutes for me to get her to stop crying. She's going receive counseling when she goes to rehab, though. So I'm hoping that it's going to help her."

"Okay." Don says quietly. "I guess I'll see both of you tomorrow.

"Okay." Hilary says. "Bye."

"Bye." Don whispers before walking out of the room.

**Songs:**

**Tears Of An Angel-RyanDan **

* * *

><p><strong>I had a math test this morning and I think I did pretty well. I'm feeling hopeful! Haha:D<strong>

** Anyway, I hope that you all liked this chapter as much as I liked writing it! :)**

**Review!**


	8. Memorial

James watches as people greet Alicia's parents. She was their only daughter and now she's gone. James doesn't know what he would do if this happened to his kids. It would be impossible for him to stay strong if he ever lost a loved one. His mom left him when he was two, but at least she was still asleep. She's back in his life now, but she was gone for a big part of his childhood. As for Alicia's parents, the mom is crying and the dad is holding her while he tries to keep himself together. Anyone can tell that he's trying to be strong for his wife.

After looking at Mr. and Mrs. Harris for a while, he looks at the stage. A large picture of Alicia and a wreath of red roses is sitting in the middle of the stage. Alicia was a pretty cute girl. She had fair skin and blonde hair that ended shortly below her shoulders. She had pretty green eyes and a cute smile. Hadley said that she was a snobby and rude person, but other people say that she had her nice moments. She wasn't a total sweetheart, but she wasn't totally awful. She was smart and she had a passion for performing. That's why teachers like Mrs. Hartley liked her so much. She took her acting and singing very seriously. James has spoken to a few students and they said that they actually miss her, even though she wasn't always a nice person.

Some sad music is playing over the speakers. Alicia's parents aren't the only ones that are crying. Many students and Hollywood Arts staff members are crying too. In fact, James is going to cry if they don't turn this music off. It's depressing and James wasn't even feeling depressed until he came to this memorial.

James turns around and walks out of the auditorium. The ceremony isn't going to start for ten more minutes. He has plenty of time to get a drink of water from the fountain.

* * *

><p>Allie puts her Drama book in her locker and looks towards the front entrance of the lobby. Her eyes fill with anxiety when she sees Hilary pushing Leighton in her wheelchair. Leighton is wearing a pair of lime green sweatpants with a darker green glittery stripes going up each leg and a matching hoodie. Lime green was Alicia's favorite color, so Leighton must be wearing it as a tribute to her friend. A few strands of red hair are pulled back, while the rest of her hair is down. She's not wearing a lot of makeup, except for some lipgloss. A teacher stops by to greet her, but she only smiles softly and nods at the teachers questions. When the teacher gets confused look on her face, Hilary quietly explains.<p>

As nervous as Allie is, she suddenly feels the need to greet Leighton too. She just hopes that the girl doesn't try to kill her or something. What if her presence causes Leighton to have a breakdown in the middle of the lobby? Allie ponders this for a moment, then slowly walks over to Hilary and Leighton.

"Hi." She says with a friendly smile.

"Leigh, say hi to Allie." Hilary says, touching Leighton's shoulder. Leighton just glares at Allie and crosses her arms, shaking her head. She looks at her mom and holds out her hand, looking at Allie as her mom gives her a notepad and pen. She must be using that to communicate with people.

Leighton writes something down and shows it to her mother.

"Okay, I'll leave you two alone." Hilary says, kissing Leighton's head before walking over to some teachers.

Allie frowns as Leighton hands the notepad to her. When she looks at the writing, she gulps. Ob boy...Leighton is definitely not happy about the talent show situation. Allie would quit the talent show, but Camille and Mrs. Hartley won't let her. Mrs. Hartley said that she made a commitment and she needs to stick to it. Honestly, this isn't commitment that she wanted to make. Camille sees some kind of potential in her, but Allie doesn't know where Camille got that crazy idea. Allie can't perform and it's going to be hard for her to improve in just five months.

_I know that you're performing in my place. If you mess this up, you will regret it. Got that?_

"Leighton, I don't even wanna do this!" Allie says as she hands the notepad to Leighton. The injured girl writes something down and hands it back to Allie.

_Then why are you doing it?_

"Well, for one thing, Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Hartley talked me into it." Allie explains desperately. "Second of all, your spot needs to be filled."

Leighton angrily writes something on the notepad and Allie sighs as she reads it.

_ That should be me up there. I know you won't be happy to hear this, but you don't have what it takes to perform. I worked like crazy to perfect my singing and acting skills, but you've done nothing! You couldn't even make it through your audition before you freaked out and left the auditorium!  
><em>

Okay, now this is getting ridiculous. Why can't Leighton just see the truth? She needs to accept her situation.

"Leighton, you need to realize that your life is changing. You can't dance or act anymore. All you can do is sing!" But you need to be able to dance if you want to be in this show." Allie says. For a moment, Leighton looks hurt, then she roughly snatches the notepad out of Allie's hand and writes something down, handing it back to Allie.

_I know that my life isn't going to be the same anymore! But I don't need to hear it from you. You're the last person that needs to be telling me what is happening in my life. I already know! You may think I'm stupid, but I'm not. Go ahead and replace me in the show, but I want you to know that I hope you fail miserably._

"Leighton..." Allie starts to say. Leighton grabs the notepad and wheels herself past Allie.

Allie watches as Leighton tugs on the sleeve of Hilary's green long sleeve shirt. Hilary says something to the teachers that she was speaking to before getting behind Leighton and pushing her into the auditorium. Allie takes a deep breath before walking to the auditorium. The whole place is filled with people coming to pay their respects to Alicia. Allie takes a seat between Tara and Mason, who both seem fixated on Alicia's picture that is sitting on the stage. Allie is thinking about Leighton. She's only a freshman, so Allie feels bad that she won't be able to participate in the school activities. She's going to miss out on a lot of high school experiences because of her disability.

Morgan is sitting on the other side of Tara, staring at her hands. The brunette occasionally glances at Leighton, but the injured girl never looks at her. Morgan never visited her in the hospital, so it's understandable that she would avoid speaking to her "Friend". The worst part is that Morgan never even tried to get in contact with her. Not even a phone call!

The school principal, Mr. Mendez, walks to the podium, clearing his throat before speaking into the microphone.

"Good morning, everyone." He says. "We are here to pay our respects to Alicia Lorraine Harris. Alicia was a junior here at Hollywood Arts. She participated in the drama club and aspired to become a professional actress. On Tuesday, January 8, her life was cut short as she, her cousin, and another student were driving home from our talent show auditions. She and her cousin died instantly while the other passenger was rendered paralyzed. She had just turned seventeen in December. Today, we will be having speakers, as well as a few performers, to celebrate the life of Alicia and mourn her death."

Allie, Mason, and Tara glance at Leighton, who looks to be on the verge of tears.

"First up, Donald Knight will perform an original song." Mr. Mendez says. Don walks to the stage with his guitar and sits in the chair with a microphone in front of him.

As Don sings his song, Allie looks at Kendall and Jo.  
>Jo looks like she might start crying, but Kendall just looks proud of his son.<p>

James whispers to Brianne, who responds by squeezing his hand. She rests her head on his shoulder, sighing as he kisses the top of her head. He never knew that Don was this talented. He was able to write something so emotional and he sounds so passionate as he sings the song. James feels very proud of his best friend's son. A few people in the audience are trying to dry their eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the sadness that fills the room. Leighton seems to be getting closer to breaking down completely, but Hilary is desperately trying to console her.

"Do you think she's okay?" Jessica asks quietly, looking at Hilary's daughter.

"It's pretty obvious that she's not okay." Jo snaps, wiping her eyes.

"She's just cranky." Kendall whispers while rubbing Jo's stomach.

James looks at Brianne, gently kissing her hand. She rests her head on his shoulder and looks at Don.

"How did Don write something so depressing?" Lindsey asks.

"I don't even know." Jett says. They are all surprised that he's actually paying attention to the ceremony instead of his reflection. He hasn't even made any "I'm way better looking than you" comments to Kendall. He use to do that all the time when they were teenagers. He would have loved to have Jo for himself, but she was dating Kendall.

Finally, Don finishes his song. He thanks the audience before walking offstage.

* * *

><p>An hour later, the ceremony is almost over, but Camille has to make a speech first. Everyone watches her as she walks to the podium. She puts her speech in front of her, taking a deep breath. She hesitates before she begins speaking.<p>

"Alicia was one of my more...out going students. She could be loud sometimes and there were a few occasions were I had to tell her "Alicia, be quiet so I can teach." Sometimes she didn't listen, but I can honestly say that she was a lot of fun to have in class." Camille says. "She was a fantastic actress and singer. I remember one time when she and Leighton were paired up for one of my acting exercises. Leighton had to play a police officer and Alicia played an older woman that Leighton pulled over. Well, when Leighton started interrogating her, she got a little too into character and smacked Leighton with her purse. She and Leighton had this hilarious argument about it and even though I should have been trying to stop it, I couldn't because it was way too funny. Yeah, I have some very interesting memories of those two." Camille says, looking at Leighton. The girl smiles softly, staring at her lap. "Another memory took place in the Asphalt cafe. Alicia, Leighton, and Morgan were going to order lunch when the lunch lady accidentally poured their lunches all over them. They weren't happy about it, but it was a funny memory."

The audience laughs, even Alicia's parents.

"She was a great student." Camille says. "She could be crazy, but I enjoyed working with her. It truly saddens me that she had to go before her time. i found out about the accident the morning after it happened. I was getting ready to go to work and I saw it on the news. When I saw Alicia's name on the screen, I had to do a double take because I couldn't believe that it was her. Now I've never met her cousin, but I know that she and Alicia were both too young. I remember standing in my living room, staring at the TV in shock. I had a lesson planned for that day, but I cancelled it after I found out about the accident. I just couldn't bring myself to have a lesson when one of my students is gone. As for Leighton, I'm happy that she's alive, but it hurts me to know that she's going through so many life changes. I send my deepest condolences to Alicia's family, her friends, and everyone who knew her. Thank you."

Camille walks offstage and returns to her seat next to Logan. He whispers "You did great", kissing the top of her head.

"That concludes this ceremony." Mr Mendez says. "Students, teachers, and parents, we are going to have a small get together in the Asphalt Cafe is any of you want to come."

"Do you wanna go?" Camille asks Logan.

"Sure." Logan nods. "Besides, I kind of wanna say hi to Hilary and Leighton."

* * *

><p>"Are you gonna see Hilary and Leighton?" Allie asks Logan.<p>

"Yeah." Logan nods, ruffling her hair. "I haven't seen them in a while."

He gives her a hug and kisses her head before walking to the table where Hilary and Leighton are sitting. Leighton is drinking a Strawberry smoothie, shrugging when Hilary asks her something. Logan glances around at the other mourners before sitting across from them. He hopes that Hilary won't try to flirt with him. He thought that she would get over him once she got married and had her baby, but she's divorced . Logan doesn't know how desperate she might be. Of course, he doesn't see why she would care about flirting with him right now. She has a disabled daughter to take care of. Having a relationship should be the least of her priorities.

"Logan." Hilary says, smiling. "How have you been?"

"Good." Logan says. "Still in Big Time Rush, I'm married, and I have a son."

"How old is he?" Hilary asks him.

"He's eight." Logan smiles. "Here's a picture of him."

He shows her a picture of Chris that he keeps in his wallet. They went to Minnesota to visit some family and he took Chris out to play in the snow. After having an awesome snowball fight, he got Camille to take a picture of him giving Chris a big hug. The picture was taken last year during Christmas break.

"He's adorable." Hilary says.

"And I haven't seen this beautiful little lady in a while." Logan says, looking at Leighton as he puts his wallet in his gym bag. He and the guys have to go to a recording session later, so he brought his gym bag with him.

"Leighton, remember Logan?" Hilary asks. Leighton nods in response.

"Why isn't she talking?" Logan whispers.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Hilary says sadly.

Logan nods, looking at the mom and her daughter with sympathy.

"She's basically been mute ever since the accident. She refuses to speak to anyone." Hilary says as she hands Leighton's notepad and pen to her. "That's why she uses this notepad. Um, just talk to her and she'll write her response down."

Wow, Logan's starting to feel depressed.

"Alright," He says carefully. "Are you excited to be out of the hospital, Leighton?"

Leighton writes her response and hands the notepad to him.

_Yeah:) I was getting tired of eating hospital food. _

"Well, we know that she's not a fan of hospital food." Logan mutters before smiling. "Leigh, how would you like it if I bought you something to eat?"

Leighton nods excitedly.

"I think she's getting hungry." Hilary laughs softly, handing some cash to him.

"Hey, I've got my own money." Logan says, handing the money back to her. He takes his wallet out of his gym bag and walks to the Grub Truck, looking at the menu. He's pretty sure that Leighton has a thing for chicken nuggets, so he decides to get a medium sized order of them for her. Even if she doesn't eat all of them, she'll have a snack to enjoy later.

"What can I get for you today?" The lunch lady asks in a thick Spanish accent.

"A medium sized order of chicken nuggets." Logan tells her.

The lunch lady grabs a medium sized contain and fills it with chicken nuggets, paying for them before walking back to Hilary and Leighton.

"Here." He says, putting the chicken nuggets in front of her.

"Hey, he still remembers your favorite food." Hilary teases, pushing some hair away from Leighton's face. Leighton eagerly begins eating the chicken nuggets, ignoring the students that are staring at her.

"Hey, who's that other girl that she hangs out with?" Logan asks.

"Her name is Morgan." Hilary tells him. "I don't know what happened to her. She never visited Leighton in the hospital, she never called, and she hasn't said a word to Leighton since we've been here today. I know it's none of my business, but I feel like Leighton really needs a friend right now. Morgan is just avoiding her."

"I'm sure she'll come around." Logan reassures her.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do now." Hilary says quietly. "I had to drop out of my new movie because I'm going with Leighton to her rehab. My life is changing so much and I don't know what to do about it. Leigh has always been independent. Now she relies on me for everything. Taking a shower, going to the restroom, getting dressed. She needs help with everything, Logan. The worst part is that she won't even talk to me. I haven't heard her voice all week and I miss it. Even when she talked back to me, it was better than her not talking at all."

Leighton must have heard her mom's words because she slowly stops eating and looks at Hilary with sad eyes.

"Are you full?" Hilary asks her.

Leighton sighs and nods, grabbing a napkin and wrapping it around the container.

"Sweetie, I'm sure we can get a box." Hilary says. "Logan, could you watch her for me?"

"Sure." Logan says. Once she is gone, he looks at Leighton. She is looking around the Asphalt cafe, looking sad. Logan isn't sure, but he thinks that she's sad because of Morgan. Why wouldn't she be sad? Morgan is avoiding her. No one likes to be avoided. When they went to Mandelino that one time, he and Camille broke up for a while and she started avoiding him. That's how he knows being avoided doesn't feel good. He feels sympathetic for Leighton. She already lost her best friend and ability to walk. She doesn't need to lose her other friend.

"Hey, do you like Big Time Rush?" He asks.

Leighton nods and smiles softly.

"What's your favorite song?" Logan asks.

Leighton writes on her notepad and hands it to him.

_Stuck:)_

"Well the other guys are here. Maybe we could sing it for you." Logan says. Leighton's eyes light up and she nods again. Logan chuckles and motions for the other guys to come over.

"Hey, Leigh." Kendall says, patting her shoulder.

"I just found out that she's a BTR fan." Logan says. "You guys wanna sing Stuck for her? It's her favorite song."

"We would love that." Carlos says, smiling at Leighton.

"Ask Don if you can borrow his guitar." James tells Kendall, giving Leighton a smile.

"Don!" Kendall calls out.

"Yeah, dad?" Don asks as he walks over to them, holding his guitar.

"Can I borrow your guitar?" Kendall asks him.

"Yeah." Don says, handing the guitar to him.

"Thanks, bud." Kendall says. Noticing that the guys are going to sing, several people walk over to the group.

"You're gonna love this." James smiles at Leighton.

Kendall begins strumming the guitar and the song begins.

_("Stuck" by Big Time Rush)_

**Songs:**

**Tears Of An Angel-RyanDan**

**Stuck-Big Time Rush**

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	9. Nervous

The next Monday, Hollywood Arts is back in action. Of course, everyone is still mourning Alicia's death. It's also really weird not having Leighton around, taunting less talented students and bragging about her latest achievements. Brianne talked to Hilary on the phone last night. Leighton still isn't talking. They sat in her therapy session for an hour yesterday and Leighton never said a word. According to her mom, the counselor would ask her questions and she would just write the answers on her notepad. Allie is still thinking about Leighton's resentment towards her. She has every right to be angry, but it's making Allie wonder if she should drop out of the show. It's not like she has any business replacing anyone. She can't entertain a crowd. Her parents and Camille say that they'll help her, but she doesn't know if their help will work.

She opens her locker and just as she is about to put her books away, she drops them. She kneels down and starts to pick them up when a shiny silver high heels steps on them, preventing her from grabbing them. She slowly looks up to see Morgan staring down at her her. She has an angered look on her face. Why would she be angry? Aside from obvious reasons, she has no other reason to be angry with Allie or anyone for that matter. Since Leighton or Alicia can't be here, is Morgan doing their bullying for them? That could be what she's thinking.

"You're replacing Leighton in the talent show?" She asks in a girly voice. Allie nods meekly, trying to stand up. Morgan grabs her shoulder and forces her to stay down. She kneels in front of Allie, glaring at her. "Well, you better watch yourself. Leighton was suppose to be the star of this show and I'm not gonna let an amateur take her place. She may be paralyzed, but no one has the right to take her place. This meant a lot to her, Allie, and you're taking it away from her. Her spot should have been left open, just like Alicia's, but Mrs. Hartley and Mrs. Mitchell just had to get a stupid replacement."

Why does she care so much? She didn't even visit Leighton in the hospital. Allie highly doubts that Morgan will ever fly out to Florida to visit her either. She shouldn't be getting all defensive because someone is replacing her "Friend" in the talent show. If she couldn't find the time to visit her friend in the hospital, it's hard to understand why she would suddenly start defending Leighton.

"Hey, what are you saying to my sister?"

Sometimes Hadley shows up at just the right time.

"Allie, get up." Hadley says, pulling her sister up. She gets in Morgan's face, making herself as threatening as possible. Morgan almost seems afraid of her, but she's trying not to show it. A lot of freshmen are intimidated by Hadley because she can be so...Well, intimidating! James could get mad easily when he was younger and many think that Hadley inherited that trait from him.

"If I ever see you threatening my sister, I swear I'll beat you down." She says in a menacing voice. "And don't say that I won't. You know that I'm not afraid to do it. "

"Hadley, your sister is replacing my best friend in the talent show. That's not how it should be." Morgan says, crossing her arms. "Either they leave her spot open or replace her with me. Either one of those choices is fine, but they shouldn't be replacing her with one of the most untalented losers at this school."

"You wanna go right now?" Hadley threatens, grabbing her wrist.

"Better watch your back." Morgan says to them before walking away.

Hadley frowns and shakes her head, picking Allie's books up and handing them to her. Then she opens her own locker and grabs her science book. She checks her reflection with her grey locker mirror before slapping her locker shut. She looks at Allie and gives her an apologetic look.

"I guess I should get to class." She says before walking past her sister.

Allie sighs as she grabs her History book, closing her locker. She looks down the hallway and sees Morgan standing by her own locker, glaring at Allie. A few lockers down from her, a taller boy in jeans, a black T shirt, and a leather jacket is standing with his back against the lockers. His sunglasses are covering his eyes, so Allie doesn't get a good look at his face.

She turns around and walks towards the small staircase, heading to her History class. When she reaches the top of the second level of stairs, she walks down the hallway until she reaches her History class. Her teacher, Mr. Drake, is standing by his desk, waiting for all of his students to arrive. Allie walks to her own desk, which is located in the middle of the classroom. She sits down and takes her History book out, noticing that many of the students still look sad. It's been like this for the past week. The classroom is always quiet, except for the teacher lecturing. Drama class was pretty depressing today. Leighton and Alicia's seats were empty and it's was hard not to stare at them. Morgan even changed seats because she didn't want to be reminded of the horrible accident. She didn't actually say that, but everyone knows why she changed seats.

Hollywood Arts has definitely changed.

* * *

><p>Allie is about to walk out the front entrance when she hears Camille calling her.<p>

"Hey, I need to tell you something."

"What's up?" Allie asks.

"We're having the first talent show rehearsal tomorrow." Camille tells her. "It's important for you to be there. We're gonna start rehearsing the senior performance, you need to learn Leighton's choreography for your musical number with Hadley and Kayla, and you need to learn the duet that Leighton was going to do with another student. It's important for you to be at this rehearsal, okay?'

"Um, sure." Allie says nervously. "I'll be there."

"Awesome." Camille says.

Allie gulps as she starts to walk out the door. She is too distracted by the thought of her first talent show rehearsal and she ends up walking face first into the closed door. She rubs her forehead, groaning as the pushes the door open. She walks to the parking lot. As always, she's riding home with Mason. She looks around and sees his yellow Chevrolet Corvette pulled up to the curb. Mason is sitting in the drivers seat, jamming out to some rock music. Allie pulls the door open and gets in, tossing her back pack into the backseat. She closes the door and looks over at Hadley, who is talking to some junior guy.

Allie giggles when Mason honks his horn, catching Hadley's attention. They both watch in shock as she kisses the mystery guy before running to the car. As she climbs into the backseat, they can't help noticing the excited smile on her face. James won't be happy when he finds out about this. The guy doesn't look as bad as other guys that she has dated, but James still wouldn't approve.

"Who was that?" Mason laughs.

"His name is Jay." Hadley says. "He's a junior."

"Wait until dad hears about this." Mason smirks.

"Hey, you're not going to tell him." Hadley says as they leave the parking lot.

"Why couldn't you find someone that isn't a bad boy?" Allie asks.

"Jay isn't a bad boy." Hadley says. "He's just a guy. He's a dancer! He's smart and talented!"

"Of course." Mason and Allie say in unison.

* * *

><p>"The kids should be home soon." Brianne says, kissing James. She laughs as he gives her a hug and tries to kiss her again Her hand touches his side and she looks towards the front door, smiling when James kisses her cheek. She has been having a great time, spending the day with her man and getting to relax. After the kids left for school, they went back to bed and cuddles until noon. James even suggested going out to dinner on Friday night. The kids could handle being alone for one night, so they could probably get away with going out for a few hours.<p>

"Brie, just kiss me again." James says, nudging her cheek with his nose. Brianne sighs as she looks at him, grabbing his face with her hands. She pulls him into a kiss and wraps her arms around his neck. She jumps into his arms and wraps her legs around his waist. She keeps one arm around his shoulders while her other hand completely messes up his hair. She giggles as he carries her over to the couch. He falls backwards onto the couch and continues kissing his wife. He keeps his hand on the small over her back while his other hand holds hers.

"Mom! Dad! We're home!" Mason calls out. Brianne and James look at each other with wide eyes, quickly sitting up. The kids have walked in on them making out before and they didn't like it. They were actually pretty weirded out by it.

"Hey, how was school?" Brianne asks, clearing her throat. James starts to put his arm around her shoulders, but she quickly grabs his hand. She holds back a smile as James kisses her hand.

"Hey, we have talent show rehearsals tomorrow." Hadley says. "So we'll be coming home late."

"Okay." Brianne says, trying to keep still as James pulls on her hand.

"We're gonna watch a movie in my room." Hadley says as she and her siblings walk to the staircase.

"Okay!" James says. The kids walk up the stairs and when they're finally out of sight, James grins and pulls on Brianne's hand, causing her to fall into his lap. She laughs as he wraps his arms around her, giving her a tight bear hug. She tries to get out of his grip, but he tightens his arms around her and places kisses all over her face and neck. She squeals as he pulls her against his chest, kissing the top of her head. She buries her face in the fabric of his white T shirt, breathing in the smell of the freshly cleaned shirt. She slowly lifts her head to look on him and suddenly finds herself being attacked with more kisses.

"Jay!" She laughs.

"I'm not letting you go yet." James says, giving her a big hug.

"When are you gonna let me go?" Brianne asks.

"Whenever." James shrugs, laughing as he buries his face in her hair.

"Baby, please let me go?" Brianne asks, using her puppy dog face.

"Fine." James says, releasing his grip on her. Brianne smiles and gives him a gentle kiss before standing up. She strokes his cheek before walking to the kitchen. She grabs the phone and dials Hilary's cell phone number. She has been calling Hilary for updates on Leighton's condition. She hasn't made much progress. She won't talk, she has the worst time trying to do the exercises, and she's depressed. Hilary said that Leighton really wants to go home, but she has to stay there until she starts becoming independent. She's probably going to be there for a few months. Leighton really wants to be out of there by May. She wants to go and see the talent show.

"Hello?" Hilary's tired voice says.

"Hey, it's Brie." Brianne says. "I just wanted to call and see how you and Leighton are doing."

"We're tired." Hilary sighs. "I had to go to some caregiver training today. Basically, it's a class for families of spinal cord injury victims. It teaches us about the patient's injury and their needs."

"That's probably a good thing." Brianne sighs. "What is Leighton doing?"

"Well, she's on a little break right now." Hilary says. "She insisted on getting some chips from the snack machine."

"How's her therapy going?"

"Average." Hilary tells her. "She's trying to cooperate, but she's having a hard time with it."

"I'm sorry." Brianne says quietly.

"Don't worry about." Hilary sighs. "We'll be fine."

"Well, I guess I'll talk to you later." Brianne says. "Bye."

She hangs up and puts the phone back on the receiver.

* * *

><p>"Are you done?" Hilary asks Leighton.<p>

Leighton nods and hands the empty bag of chips to her, watching as she throws them in the garbage.

"You still have an hour left of your break, so I guess we could go back to your room for a while." Hilary says, pushing her daughter down the hallway. She's getting tired of the silence. She has tried everything but Leighton just won't talk. She kind of has another idea,but she doesn't think that it's going to work. It's worth a try, though.

She pushes Leighton into her room. She doesn't have a roommate. She wrote on her notepad that she was happy about that. She doesn't feel like seeing other people in her same situation. It would be much too awkward for her. Hilary finds this strange for a reason. if Leighton had a roommate, she and that person would have something in common. When you have something in common with someone, you understand each other and there isn't any awkwardness. Of course, Leighton probably doesn't want to be reminded of her situation by having to live with someone just like her.

"Hey, do you want me to sing a song for you?" She asks as she lifts Leighton onto the bed. Leighton shrugs before nodding. Hilary smiles and sits on the bed, choosing to sing "Lonely Love Song". It's the duet that Leighton would have been singing with some other guy in the talent show.. They were gonna were stylish outfits and they had some adorable choreography.

"I hear that song, and I can still picture us. Not sure where we went wrong. Maybe love isn't always enough." Hilary sings softly. _I'_m missing you, thats all I know. Are we better off this way? Yeah! I'm listening to the radio, and i see Your face."

"Wanna sing the next line?" She asks.

Leighton grabs her notepad and writes on it before handing it to Hilary.

_Don't feel like it right now_

Hilary knew that it wouldn't work.

"Oh." She says in disappointment. "Well, maybe later."

* * *

><p>"This movie is awesome." Mason says through a mouthful of popcorn. They are sitting on Hadley's bed, watching Captain America. It's an older movie, but they actually like it. Hadley loves action, so movies like this are perfect for her. Anything will dudes beating up bad guys will be likely to entertain Hadley for hours.<p>

"I know, right?" Hadley laughs.

"Hey, if I were to completely bomb in the show, should I leave the country?' Allie asks.

Mason and Hadley look at her with annoyed expressions. She continues to focus on the negative. She's worried about screwing up the show and making an idiot out of herself. Their parents, Camille, Gustavo, Jack, JKelly, and the other guys are going to help her, so Mason and Hadley don't understand why she's being so pessimistic. Mrs. Hartley and Camille chose her, so she must have some kind of potential. She really needs to learn how to believe in herself. She may have messed up at the auditions, but they're going to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

"Allie, you're not going to bomb." Mason tells her.

Allie frowns as she looks out Hadley's window. She wants to believe that she'll be successful, but she just doesn't know. Besides, now she has Morgan threatening her and telling her that she has no business replacing anyone, so she's scared. What if Morgan tries to sabotage her? If she's threatening Allie and telling her that she shouldn't be replacing anyone, she probably wouldn't be afraid to sabotage Allie.

"If you're thinking about Morgan, I want you to know that if she messes with you, I will beat her down. I already promised her that I would and I don't break promises." Hadley says.

"You're one bad girl, Hadley." Mason says sarcastically. "One bad girl."

"Shut up." Hadley says, punching his shoulder.

"What movie are you kids watching?" James asks from the doorway.

"Captain America." Hadley says.

"Nice." James says.

RIIIIIIIIING!

He grabs the phone off the bedside table and looks at the caller ID. Kendall?

"Hello?"

"Hey, I'm at the hospital." Kendall says excitedly.

"Why are you so excited about that? Carlos didn't try to bungee jump off the roof of his house again, did he?"

"No, Jo's having the baby!"

"What?" James yells.

"Our little girl is coming!"

"That's awesome! We'll be there soon!" James says before hanging up. "Hey, we've gotta get to the hospital. Jo's having the baby!"

* * *

><p>They rush into the maternity ward, walking up to the main desk.<p>

"We're looking for Jo Knight." Brianne says.

"Um, we have a Joanna Knight." The receptionist says slowly. "She's in room 320."

"That's her! Thanks!" James says before dragging his family down the hallway. They finally reach 320, but they don't immediately walk into the room. Logan and Carlos are standing outside the door with their wives and kids, waiting for the doctor to announce that the baby girl has arrived. Logan whispers to Carlos, who shrugs in response.

"Hey, have they said anything?" Allie asks.

"Not yet." Camille says. "Ugh, come on!"

"Be patient." Logan says, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Don, ready to meet your baby sister?" James asks.

"Yeah." Don says, pacing back and forth. At that moment, the doctor steps out of the room. He looks somewhat tired, yet happy at the same time. He's an older guy, maybe in his mid fifties. He not that old, but he's not exactly twenty years old anymore.

"It's a beautiful baby girl." He says.

"Can we see her?" Brianne asks hopefully.

"Of course." The doctor smiles. "Come on in, but remember to be very quiet."

He opens the door and they all walk into the room. Jo is laying on the bed with a pink bundle in her arms. She's tired, a little sweaty, but she looks completely overjoyed.

"Hey, guys." She whispers.

"This pretty little angel is Madison Joanne." Kendall says, gently touching his daughter's hand.

"Don, do you want to hold your baby sister?" Jo asks her son.

"Of course." Don says as he gently takes Madison into his arms. "Hey, baby sister."

Madison stares at her big brother and they all laugh as she yawns.

"Aww, you're tired." Don says, kissing her forehead.

"I'M AN UNCLE AGAIN!" Carlos shouts.

"CARLOS!" Everyone yells in unison.

The yelling wasn't such a good idea. Why? Because it causes the new baby to burst into loud cries. Everyone groans in frustration, while Logan proceeds to slap Carlos behind the head.

**Songs: **

**Lonely Love Song-Victoria Justice and Simon Curtis (From Spectacular!)**


	10. Rehearsal

"Allie, come on!" Mason says as he drags her towards the dance studio. His arms are tightened around her waist because she keeps trying to run away. They have to get to this rehearsal on time, but that's hard when Allie is being so difficult. Luckily, he is a lot stronger than her, so he is able to drag her into the studio. The other performers are already waiting for them and a few people whisper quietly. Camille waves at them and pauses the background music coming from the small stereo. Kayla was rehearsing her solo, called "Whiplash", but she stops as the music is turned off.

"That was great, Kayla." Camille reassures the girl. Kayla smiles happily and steps away from the microphone. She and her backup dancers walk off the dance floor. They sit in the chairs that have been put off to the side.

Allie ends up sitting next to the same guy that she is saw in the hallway today. He's currently wearing a pair of tight jeans, a blue T shirt, and leather jacket. She's pretty sure that he's a senior too, but she's afraid to ask him. She's just really shy around guys. She has never had a boyfriend before. She doesn't even think that a guy has ever had a crush on her before. She would like a boyfriend, but she isn't about to look desperate. Sometimes desperation contributes to unpopularity. IF people think that you're eager to make friends or have a boyfriend, they'll just reject you.

"Everyone, I want you too meet Leighton's...replacement." Camille says. "This is Allie."

Allie waves awkwardly, slowly lowering her hand when Mystery Guy looks at her. She coughs quietly and looks away.

"Okay, now we are going to work on the senior performance." Camille says. "All seniors, get to the dance floor."

All seniors do as she says, walking to the middle of the dance floor. Allie frowns as Camille makes her switch places with another girl, so she is standing next to Mystery Guy. Neither one of them looks each other in the eye. Camille gives Allie a thumbs as she stands in front of the group.

"I'm sure Chandler here will be happy to help you with the choreography." Camille sats, pointing to Mystery Guy. Ah, his name is _Chandler. _Cute name...He's pretty easy on the eyes too. He has a cute face. He has dark brown hair, green eyes, and tan skin. He seems kinda closed off as far as his personality goes. He's quiet, doesn't smile too much, and he always has his arms crossed. Does she really have to perform with this guy?

"Here is the lyrics sheet." Camille says, handing a sheet of paper to her. "All of you just imitate me."

"Um, sure." Allie says, taking a deep breath.

"Okay!" Camille says, turning the stereo on. She stands in front of the group and starts dancing. She wasn't always much of a dancer, but she did have the ability, but she spends so much time watching the guys or Brianne rehearse their dancing, so that helped her improve as a dancer. Not to mention that she worked with a dance instructor while she was in college.

**("Something To Believe In" by Spectacular!)**

Just when Allie thought it was going well, she suddenly trips and falls forward, prompting groans of annoyance from the others. They all complain to Camille and throw a few sarcastic "Nice job" to Allie. She quickly stands up and tries to look less obvious. Of course, after a mistake like she just made, it's no surprise that she can't seem to blend in. She knew that this talent show was a bad idea. She should just tell Mrs. Hartley and Camille that she quits. She doesn't want to ruin the biggest show of the year. They should have found someone with some real talent and stage presence.

"Um, Mrs. Mitchell, can I go to the restroom?" She asks.

"Oh, sure." Camille says, looking a bit confused. Allie quickly walks out of the room as fast as she can. She walks down the hallway until she reaches the main lobby. She is about to walk up the stairs when a voice stops here.

"If you're looking for the restroom, there's one right over there."

Allie sighs as she turns around, seeing Chandler standing there with his arms crossed. Why did he follow her? He doesn't even know her and she doesn't know him.

"I wasn't really going to the restroom." She sighs.

"Wow, the good girl at Hollywood Arts finally does something bad." Chandler says. Allie rolls her eyes and walks back down the stairs, walking up to him. He better not tell Camille about this. If Allie said she was going to the restroom, she really should be in the restroom. She has never lied to a teacher before. She especially hates lying to Camille because she's not just a teacher. She's also a family friend. Allie sees her outside of school too. Sometimes she comes over to their house on the weekends. She's married to one of James best friends.

"You better not say anything." She says, pointing at him.

"Hey, calm yourself." Chandler says coolly. "I won't say anything. I told Mrs. Mitchell that I was going to the restroom too. Do I look like I'm headed to the restroom?"

"No." Allie says slowly.

"Exactly." Chandler whispers. He walks over to the steps and sits down, sitting sideways with his back against the railing. "So why did you leave the studio?"

"You saw me! I screwed up the dance." Allie tells him. "You probably already know this, but I can't sing, can't dance, and I have terrible stage fright. I get nauseous when I have to talk in class. People like me aren't meant to be doing stuff like talent shows. On the other hand, you have a fairly decent voice. Better than mine, anyway."

"Actually, you weren't that bad." Chandler says. "You just need to work on the dancing and the running out of the room. Seriously, you've gotta stop doing that. My advice? If you mess up, just keep going. That;'s what I do and that's what all of those people do. One time, Leighton and I were practicing our duet and I forgot the lyrics. After she finished yelling at me, I just kept singing."

"Right." Allie whispers simply.

"So you wanna get back in there?" Chandler asks her. "Because I wouldn't want to get in trouble."

"Let's go." Allie sighs as they walk back down the hallway. They finally return to the studio, where Morgan has started rehearsing her monologue. Basically, it's about a girl who is abandoned by her mother. It's depressing, angsty, and powerful. Hadley says that the monologue is really good, but she just can't stand the person performing it.

"Morgan, you can practice your monologue later." Camille says politely. Morgan grumbles under her breath as she returns to her seat. She sits down and crosses her arms, glaring at Allie.

"Ready to try again?" Camille asks Allie. "Seriously, don't feel bad about messing up."

"Yeah." Allie nods. "Let's try again."

She and Chandler return to their places.

* * *

><p>"I was embarrassing!" Allie groans as she follows Mason and Hadley into the living room. While rehearsing Eye Of The Tiger with Hadley and Kayla, she bumped into Kayla and knocked her down. She sprained her ankle a little bit, but Camille called Logan and had him come over to check it out. He said that it be fine in a few days. So it was a very minor sprain. Everyone is a little annoyed with Allie because she was so horrible today. Camille recommended that she ask James and Brianne for some help with her dancing. She really would love to quiet this whole thing, but she would be letting people down if she did.<p>

"I'm gonna ask dad if he and mom will help me with my dancing." She says as she walks to the kitchen. James is standing by the island, drinking a smoothie. When he sees Allie, he puts the smoothie down.

"Hey, how was your first rehearsal?" He asks, ruffling her hair.

"Bad." Allie says. "I tripped while we were rehearsing the senior performance and I caused Kayla to sprain her ankle. It was awful! Daddy, could you help me learn how to dance better?"

"Sure." James says, kissing your forehead. "Do you have any homework?"

"Not today." Allie says, reaching for her dad's smoothie. She takes a couple sips, then hands it back to him. "Hey, get this. Me and this guy, Chandler, were rehearsing a duet that he and Leighton were suppose to do. Well, he's suppose to spin me around and instead, he spun me into a wall. Morgan proceeded to tell me that Chandler did just fine with Leighton and should get a different partner."

"That was rude of her to say." James says, shaking his head.

"You're telling me!"

"Look, I'll take you to Rocque Records this weekend and help you with your dancing." James says.

"Hey, where's mom?" Hadley asks.

"She had an interview with Glamour Magazine." James says.

"They should totally do a family article about us." Mason suggests."You know, interview all five of us. How cool would that be?"

James chuckles quietly. Mason is just like he was when he was a teenager. He was obsessed with fame, wanted to become a pop star, and have girls go crazy over him. Mason already has girls saying how hot he is and comparing him to James, so that's not really an issue, but he's not completely famous yet. He's known for being the son of two celebrities, but he hasn't done any projects of his own yet. He can start on that when he graduates. James and Brianne want their kids to finish high school. After that, if they still want to be famous, it's okay. But James and Brianne are going to keep a close eye on them. They don't want their kids to end up like Lindsay Lohan or the younger Brianne Rocque. Brianne was one of the infamous out of control celebrities as a teen. She dated Dak for a year before he left her for her friend Lauren Williams, they broke up, she started drinking, and become a popular victim of tabloid gossip. James has seen her infamous drunk photos and they are not pretty. In many of them, her eyes were all droopy and blood shot, her hair was a mess, and she almost always had a glass in her hand.

She stopped drinking for a while, but she was almost twenty when she started drinking again and ended up in rehab for two months. She screwed up pretty bad, but she's doing a lot better. She may get a little stressed sometimes and she may have the temptation to drink, but she resists the urge. She has gotten really good at that.

"You seniors got the easy dance." Hadley tells Mason and Allie. Of course, Chandler and Allie have to do their duet, which has some pretty tough dance moves."

"Did Leighton choreograph that routine?" Allie asks.

"Yep." Hadley says. "Man, can you believe that she's never gonna dance again?"

"Yeah, it's pretty bad." Mason says, grabbing a Coke from the fridge. "Hey, who ate my cream cheese?"

Hadley's eyes widen and she tries to run out of the room, but Mason quickly stops her.

"Hadley..."

"What?" Hadley asks, laughing nervously.

"Did you eat the cream cheese?" Mason asks, crossing his arms.

"In my defense, Allie ate some too." Hadley says, pointing to Allie.

"I had one scoop!" Allie says.

"Why would you girls eat cream cheese by itself?" James asks, looking disgusted. "At least put it on a bagel."

"Dad!" Mason complains.

"Mase, I know you have a food addiction, but you really should share with the rest of us." Allie says, patting his shoulder.

"Now I'm gonna have to go the store and get some more." Mason whines, closing the refrigerator.

James sighs as the three kids start arguing. He's getting out of this kitchen, so he doesn't end up getting a migraine. He has had a migraine before and they hurt so much. He really isn't in the mood to deal with one right now. He's going to let them settle this argument by themselves. Either that or Brianne can deal with it, but James isn't going to.

He shakes his head and walks out of the room, running into the living room and up the stairs. He walks to his and Brianne's room. He closes the door and turns the TV on. He leaves it on Hollywood Insider, since he's kind of in the mood for some celebrity gossip. Sometimes it's interesting to see what those reporters have to say about him or his friends.

**"As James Diamond and his Big Time Rush bandmates were leaving Rocque Records, paparazzi asked the singer about the rumors of his daughter Hadley Diamond being pregnant. He adamantly replied that the rumors are untrue. The almost sixteen year old daughter of the singer is known for being a little too much like her mother Brianne Rocque during her younger days, but James and his bandmates insist that there is not another baby Diamond on the way."**

"LIES!" James yells. Ugh, the kids may not be doing their own projects yet, but there is always the occasional rumor about them. When they got back from their summer vacation back in July, Allie was a little too tired as they walked off the plane and the paparazzi took some pictures, then proceeded to say that she was drunk. None of these rumors about these kids are true.

**"In other news, Hilary Carson was seen leaving the Miami Hope Center last night. The Carson family made headlines when Hilaru's fourteen year old daughter, Leighton, was involved in a life threatening car accident after leaving a talent show audition. The crash killed Leighton's best friend and another woman, while Leighton was left paralyzed from the waist down and the driver of the other vehicle got away with only a few injuries. Leighton is attending rehab at the Miami Hope Center. We haven't been able to get any recent pics of the teen, but we will keep you posted as more details become available."**

"Everything they say is either depressing or annoying." James mutters, changing the channel. He finally decides on MTV. The channel is playing one of Brianne's newer videos, Circus. In the video, she is wearing a sparkly and only somewhat revealing black ring master costume with knee high black leather boots. Some tabloids and parent groups accused the video of being too inappropriate for her younger fans, but there were a bunch of people who came back and said "She's almost thirty years old! She has to grow up eventually!" The video wasn't even that bad. It just involves Brianne looking a little more...mature that she did as a teen.

Hadley wants to be a pop star, but James has made her promise that she won't become trashy. He doesn't want her wearing corsets and saying bad words in her songs. Brianne has been able to pull some of that stuff off, but she's James wife. Hadley is his daughter and he has to protect his kids. Even though Brianne may not be completely appropriate for younger kids anymore, she's not trashy. Her music isn't awful. It's just not something that parents should let a five year old listen to.

"Are you watching mom's music video?" Mason asks, sitting next to James on the bed.

"Yeah." James says, looking at the screen.

"Man, I would love to see Kayla wear that." Mason murmurs. Brianne's ring master outfit is a tight bodysuit and has a large but neatly cut hole on each side, paired with a black sparkly circus style coat.

"Dude, I don't think Kayla is interested in wearing that." James says.

"She would look good in it." Mason says. "It's attractive, but not trashy."

James playfully whacks Mason with a pillow. Like father, like son. James wanted to famous and he was completely girl crazy, just like Mason.

"Did you and your sisters finish arguing over the cream cheese?" He jokes.

"Yep." Mason says bitterly.

"Bud, you're turning into Carlos." James tells him.

"How?"

"If any of us eats his corn dogs, we're going down."

**Songs:**

**Something To Believe In-Spectacular! Cast**

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	11. Making Adjustments

Hilary watches as Leighton sits by the window in her room, writing something in her journal. She was advised by her therapist to start a journal and write down her feelings. She loves it. She writes in it whenever she can. Hilary made sure to get her a really pretty one too. It's light pink leather with hot pink flowers, with a buckle where it can be locked. She wrote on her notepad that she wanted it to be a private thing, so Hilary got her one that can be locked. Hilary honestly wonders what Leighton writes about, but she isn't about to violate her daughter's privacy. She needs to be able to communicate her feelings on paper without worrying that someone is going to see. She doesn't seem to be ready to openly discuss her feelings. Hilary and the therapist are trying to understand that. Leighton wrote that her journal is a very personal thing and she'll only show it to people when she's ready.

Even though she's paralyzed, Leighton hasn't lost her sense of style. She's wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a white tank top, and a light blue wrap around cardigan. She is wearing white sandals on her feet and hair is pulled into a low pony tail. She even put on a little makeup this morning, but she didn't overdo it. She just put on a little blush, eyeliner, mascara, and lipgloss. Her fashion sense is the only thing about her that hasn't changed. Other than that, Hilary doesn't really know who she is anymore. It has been more than a week since the accident and Leighton still refuses to talk. The therapist thinks that she knows why Leighton won't talk. If she doesn't speak, people won't ask her to talk about the accident. Her muteness is her way of avoiding discussion about the accident and Alicia's death. They've tried to coax her into talking, but she never says a word. The therapist said to not give up, though. They just have to keep trying and pray that Leighton will heal emotionally and start talking again. It may not happen tomorrow, it might not happen for months, but she will get better.

The concentrated look on Leighton's face worries Hilary. She must be seriously involved in her latest journal entry. Behind the look of concentration, Hilary can also see a hint of frustration. After a few minutes of watching her, she sees Leighton lock the journal and put it on the table. She pulls the curtain back and peeks out the window, looking at the beautiful green campus. She sighs and wheels herself away from the window and over to the desk, grabbing her notepad. She wheels herself over to her mom, opening the notepad to a blank page. She writes something down and shows it to her mom.

"Let's see what you just said." Hilary says, looking at the page.

_Are we allowed to go off campus?_

"Um, I don't know." Hilary says, handing the notepad back to Leighton. "But I'll find out."

She walks over to the bedside table and grabs the phone, dialing the number to the front desk. She waits patiently until someone answers the phone. She gives Leighton a smile as the secretary finally picks up.

"Hi, this is Leighton Carson's mother." She says. "My daughter would like to know if they are allowed to go off campus. Oh, you have to ask your boss? Alright. Well, could you call me back when you find out? I'm in room 215. Okay, thank you!"

She puts the phone back on the receiver and turns to look at Leighton.

"The secretary has to ask her boss."

Leighton pouts and crosses her arms. Anyone could tell that she's getting tired of being stuck on campus all the time. In the few days that she has been here, she hasn't left the campus once. She goes to physical therapy, counseling, and she works with a on staff teacher to keep up with her school work, but she has never left the campus. There's going to be an off campus outing on Saturday for all adolescent patients, but Hilary knows that Leighton can't wait that long. She needs to get off campus for a few years, so she doesn't end up going crazy.

"Do you want to do something else while we wait?" She asks. Leighton points to the bed and Hilary frowns, thinking that her daughter is asking to take a nap. She pushes the wheelchair over to the bed and lifts Leighton into her arms. She lowers the girl onto the bed and makes sure that she's comfortable. Leighton reaches for the remote and points to the channel guide, which is too far for her to reach. Hilary hands it to her and she begins looking through the list. Hilary watches as she presses some buttons on the remote, changing the channel on the TV.

"Hot Tunes TV." Hilary says, sitting next to her daughter. The music video for Brianne's song "Summer's Not Hot" is on. That was a song that Brianne recorded for her EP that she released a few months after their horrible trip to Mandelino.

**("Summer's Not Hot" by Selena Gomez)**

Hilary looks at Leighton and laughs as the girl starts dancing. She may not be much of a talker anymore, but she can be hilarious when she wants to be. As long as no one mentions the accident, she can be very funny and adorable in a very nonverbal way. But it would be really nice if she would say at least one or two words, just to reassure Hilary that there isn't something seriously wrong with her. You know, aside from her paralysis. The therapist said that her behavior is normal, but it still worries Hilary. She hasn't heard any words from Leighton in over a week. It scares her!

Riiiing!

"That's probably the lady from the main desk." She says as she picks up the phone. "Hello? Oh, you did? Great! Perfect! Yeah, I'll tell her. Thanks! Bye."

"You can off campus for three hours." She says as she hangs the phone back up. Leighton smiles happily as she reaches for her wheelchair. Hilary quickly grabs her before she can try to lift herself into it. Sometimes she tries to be too independent and attempt to do stuff by herself. That doesn't usually turn out so great. Yesterday, she tried to lift herself into her wheelchair and fell on the floor. Unfortunately, Hilary lives off campus, so she doesn't get to see Leighton at night. The only reason she sees her daughter during the day is because she goes to Leighton's therapy sessions.

"Hey, you need to let me help." She says, lifting Leighton into her chair. "Now let's go. Maybe we can go to McDonald's."

* * *

><p>"Guys, I have to run to the store real quick, so you can take a break." Jack says into the microphone. The guys walk out of the sound booth, stretching their tired muscles. They did dance rehearsals earlier and now they're in the middle of recording a new song. Both of those things are pretty tiring, but doing them both in one day will exhaust the guys. Kendall didn't even want to come to work today. He really wanted to stay home and be with Jo and Maddie. None of the other guys have a two day old daughter, so they don't have anything to really worry about.<p>

Brianne yawns as she stands up, walking over to James. While the other guys are calling to check up on their wives and children, James grabs Brianne's hand and gives her a mischievous smile as he pulls her out of the studio. She starts ti protest, but he shushes her as they walk down the hallway. Finally, they reach Jack's office, which use to belong to Gustavo. She holds back a giggle as James lifts her into his arms and kicks the door shut. He sits her on the edge of the desk and smiles at her, his grin widening when his wife kisses him. They may be getting older, but being past thirty never stops them from having their romantic moments. Sometimes it feels like they're eighteen all over again. When they were teenagers, they would sneak into Gustavo's office during breaks and spend the next ten minutes making out until Gustavo yelled at them to get back into the studio.

"We're too old for this." She says as she massages his shoulders, not really meaning it. She doesn't care how old they are. She loves having sweet and intimate moments with James. Just them in a quiet room, hugging and kissing as much as they want. It's rude to make out in front of friends, family, and coworkers, but no one said that they can't make out when they're alone.

"Hey, this keeps me feeling young." James says, placing kisses on her neck. While he does that, Brianne wraps her arms around his neck. She keeps a loose grip around him, so he can easily kiss her neck, cheek, and jawline without any trouble.

"I think you're having a mid life crisis." Brianne says, kissing him. She kisses his cheek, places several along his jawline, then moves to his neck. He hugs her waist and closes his eyes, smiling softly. He whines as Brianne pulls away, looking at her. He steps closer and buries his face in her shoulder, letting her play with his hair. He kisses her collarbone and breathes slowly.

"DOGS!"

"Hey, is that..." He murmurs, chuckling as Brianne kisses his neck again.

"I think Gustavo just showed up." Brianne whispers as she climbs off the desk. She wraps her arm around his waist and he wraps his arm around her shoulders. They walk out of the room and James occasionally gives Brianne a gentle squeeze as they return to the studio. Gustavo is standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and his usual "I'm bored and kinda peeved off" look on his face. At fifty four years old, his hair has turned mostly grey, but he still dressed in his cool jumpsuits and insists that he is AMAZING. He may not be running Rocque Records anymore, but he still writes songs for BTR and stopping by to make sure that they don't screw anything up.

"Hey, Gustavo!" Carlos says through a mouthful of Lays potato chips.

"Hey, Gus." James says jokingly, laughing when Brianne elbows him.

"I stopped by my mansion," Gustavo says as he walks into the recording booth. He gently drags Hadley out. "And found _this_ sitting on my couch, eating my frozen pizzas."

"Hadley..." James says sternly. Hadley has developed a friendly relationship with Gustavo over the years, but she occasionally uses that to her advantage. Since she has gotten good at picking locks, she likes to have a friend drop her off at Gustavo's place, so she can have a place to hang out. She likes it because he has a media room and an indoor pool. Not to mention the stash of pudding that he keeps in his refrigerator.

"Please get a leash for your daughter." He says, gently pushing her into James arms.  
>"I had a great time, Uncle Gus!" Hadley says.<br>"AHHHHH!" Gustavo yells before storming out of the studio.

"You need stop spending so much time with Jessica and Tara." Brianne says.

"Hey, don't blame this on my wife!" Carlos says. "Blame Tara all you want, but not Jessica!"

"Jessica is the one that started sneaking into Gustavo's house and calling him by a nickname that he hates." James says as he pushes Hadley towards the exit. "Hadley, go to the dance studio and help Kelly with...whatever! Just find something to do. Just make sure that it isn't dangerous or distractive. No boys, no alcohol, nothing like that! Go to the mall or something!"

He pushes her out the door and smiles nervously as he turns around.

"Hey, she never told him about the boy..." Carlos starts to say. Logan elbows him, causing him to stop in mid sentence.

"Boys In The Attic." Carlos says quickly. "I told her about the time that Gustavo signed that girl group and we tried to get Boys In The Attic to help us. Yeah, funny story."

"She'll be fine, Jay." Brianen says, kissing James cheek.

"okay." Gustavo says slowly. "Brianne, you called and said that you're helping Allie prepare for some talent show. You told me that you're going to need my help. What do you want me to do?"

"She has to perform three songs, so you need to help her get over her stage fright." Brianne says with a smile. "Think you can do that? Just teach her some techniques to get over her stage fright. This show is really important and she needs to be free of stage fright by May The guys are going to help her with her dancing and I'm going to help her with her singing."

"Um, sure, I guess I can do that." Gustavo says.

"Thanks!" Brianne says happily, dragging him into a hug.

"Don't do that." Gustavo says, pulling away.

* * *

><p><strong>("Disaster" by Jojo)<strong>

"Did that sound okay?" Tara asks.

Allie and Mason look up at her from the couch. She insisted at showing them her solo for the talent show. She's been practicing for the past hour, asking them for commentary. She's performing Brianne's song "Disaster". That song has a sad story behind it, but she insisted on singing it because it's her favorite.

"Tara, our dad wrote that song when they were about to get a divorce." Mason says.

"I'm asking about my voice!" Tara says.

"Hey, your voice is fine." Allie says. "It sounds really good."

"I'm thinking about adding a few dance moves, just to make it less boring." Tara says as she grabs the bag of chips off the coffee table. "Didn't your mom dance when she performed this song?"

"A little, but since it's a slower song, she didn't do anything real upbeat or anything." Mason says, trying to remember the last time Brianne performed "Disaster" for an audience.

"Think she could give me some pointers?" Tara asks hopefully. "I want my performance to be really good."

"I'm sure she would be glad to help." Allie says.

"Yay!"Tara says happily. "hey, where's Hadley? She usually comes home with you guys."

"She got her new boyfriend to take her to Gustavo's house." Mason chuckles.

"Boyfriend?" Tara asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, his name is Jay." Allie says. "According to her, he's smart, talented, and a great dancer."  
>"She said that he's a junior." Mason grins.<p>

"You mean the guy that I see her hanging out with after school?" Tara asks. "He looks like he could be at least a freshman in college."

"I'm not gonna get involved." Allie murmurs, walking to the kitchen. "Hey, do you want a soda?"

"Sure!" Tara says.

Allie takes three Cokes out of the fridge and returns to the living room, handing one to Tara and one to Mason. She takes a sip from her own bottle as she sits on the couch. She grabs the remote and turns the TV on. She doesn't usually care about celebrity gossip, but when she sees that channel is already on Hollywood Insider, she finds that she's actually a little interested in what they have to say.

**"Earlier today, a photographer got some pics of Hilary Carson and her fourteen year old daughter leaving the Miami Hope Center earlier today. Both Hilary and Leighton kept to themselves as they were approached by paparazzi while entering a local McDonald's, but confusion came about as Leighton became almost frightened b y the presence of the photographers. In the following photo, you can see Leighton covering her face as she tries to hold back tears. Trying to comfort her distraught daughter, Hilary quietly whispered words of reassurance to Leighton while asking the paparazzi to "back off" and "leave my daughter alone". Before the accident that left Leighton paralyzed and killed one of her longtime friends, she was always super friendly when approached by photographers, but now seems to be more reserved and even intimidated."**

"Wow, to think that I use to hate that poor girl." Tara says, sitting between Allie and Mason. Hollywood Insider is showing a picture of Hilary pushing Leighton into McDonald's. You can see Leighton resting her elbow on the arm of her chair and looking away, holding her hand next to her face. Another pic shows Hilary holding her hand in front of a camera lens, trying to prevent paparazzi from getting pictures of her injured daughter.

"Who harasses a fourteen year old paraplegic?" Mason asks in disgust.

"Someone should have called the cops." Allie says.

"I kind of miss seeing her at school, yelling at Don or tormenting some poor freshman." Tara sighs. "She even tried to make fun of me one time, but I just told her off and walked away. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her to..."

"You know what? Let's not repeat what you said." Allie says.

"One time, she told me that Kayla could do better than me, which is funny because we're not actually dating." Mason says. "Even though I _really _want to."

"Whatever." Tara says, standing up. "Let's just keep practicing for the talent show. Allie, why don't you show us your duet with Chandler?"

**("Hit The Lights" by Selena Gomez)**

"Why'd you stop?" Mason asks her.

"I told you." Allie says awkwardly. "I have stage fright."

"Well, you need to get over that." Tara says. "Continue please."

Allie groans quietly before she starts singing again.

"Any good?" She asks nervously.

"Pretty decent, but you need a little practice." Mason says, patting her shoulder.

Allie sighs in disappointment. She practices whenever she's alone, so she was hoping that she had improved. Her parents, Mason, and her friends say that she has a good voice, but she needs better stage presence. She sounds just fine when she's singing alone, but it goes downhill as soon as she is forced to sing in front of another person. She knows that she needs to practice. She going to do that. If she has to be in this show, she's going to rock at it. She just wants to sound good enough to impress a crowd of people. After all, there will be a lot of people at the show. She wouldn't want to mess it up.

**Songs:**

**Disaster-Jojo**

**Hit The Lights-Selena Gomez And The Scene**

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	12. Relationships, Love,  and Family

After taking the kids to school, James decided to go to Starstruck Records with Brianne. She has to record a song for the soundtrack to Lindsey's new movie, which is currently filming in San Diego. Lindsey loved that because she and Jett live in San Diego, so she can still stay in her own home. Anyway, the director wanted to Walter to write a song for Brianne to sing for the soundtrack. It's called "Uncharted". It's a soulful pop song and it's completely different than anything Brianne has done before. She usually does that edgy pop rock music, like Britney Spears or Beyonce. "Uncharted" is a little more...tame? It's just not as edgy as her other music. It's definitely nothing like "Round and Round " or "Circus". She sang it for James and all he could see was "Wow, that is definitely not like your usual stuff." He likes it, though. It's kind of nice to hear Brianne do something a little softer and less wild. Not that he doesn't like her music. It's just nice to see her try different styles of music. Usually, she's strutting around onstage in corsets, bodysuits, and fishnet stockings. He would never tell her this, but he gets tired of seeing her dress like the bad girl pop star. He likes sweet and innocent Brianne. Sometimes he isn't sure how he feels about the Brianne Rocque that he sees onstage.

"James, Brianne, how are you doing today?" The paparazzi ask the couple steps out of the van. Brianne holds onto James hand and smiles at the photographers as they walk across the parking lot. As the paparazzi ask her and James questions, they happily answer. As James got older and more mature, he started getting a little crabby when the paparazzi harassed him and Brianne, but he's starting to mellow down and just acknowledge them in a more polite and friendly way. As long as they don't get too out of control, he'll answer the questions and flash them a smile.

"Do you plan on having anymore kids?" The paparazzi asks as they finally reach the front door. Okay, James and Brianne have to laugh at that one. They have two seventeen year olds and a fifteen year old. They're pretty certain that three is enough for them. They're going to be forty in a few more years, so they don't think they need to be having any more kids.

"We don't think so." Brianne laughs before she and James walk into the building.

"Can you believe they asked that?" James asks, wrapping his arm around her waist. Brianne giggles and shakes her head, giving him a gentle as they walk down the hallway. They finally arrive at the correct studio, where Walter is already waiting for them. The music producer is fifty one and he only has a few grey hairs. His hair is brown with a few grey hairs, but that's it. He's pretty fit for his age. He eats healthy and goes to the gym a lot, so that really helps.

""Alright, pop star, get in the booth." He says, pushing Brianne into the sound booth. He motions for James to sit by the sound board, so James obeys him.

James watches as Brianne puts her earphones on, putting the music sheet in front of her. She pushes a few strands of blonde hair away from her face and gives James a smile, blowing a kiss to him. He smiles and pretends to catch the kiss and put it in his pocket. Brianne giggles at the gesture and Walter rolls his eyes, giving James an annoyed look.

"Don't distract her." He says, turning the music on.

Two hours later, they have recorded the whole song. After catching up for ten minutes while enjoying some Vanilla lattes, Brianne is allowed to leave. She says bye to Walter, then follows James out of the studio. She keeps her arm around her waist and looks up at him. He's about six foot four now, but he's not going to get any taller. Brianne hasn't grown very much either. She stopped growing after six foot eight. The top of her head reaches the middle of his chest, so she's a lot shorter than him. Their friends like to make fun of that fact. They always joke that she looks like a midget compared to her husband. She doesn't look that short, but they like to make jokes about it. She actually enjoys their height difference. She's feels safe because James is all big and strong. He could protect her if she ever needed it. When they were about twenty six years old, some idiot paparazzi tried to sneak into their house to get pictures of Brianne, so James knocked the guy out with one punch to the face, while Brianne called the cops. It was pretty scary, but the guy got arrested.

They finally arrive at the van and get inside. Just as James starts the car, Brianne crawls onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. She knows that paparazzi are probably snapping pictures of them, but they've seen James and Brianne do this before, so it's not really a big deal.

"Wanna go home or not?" James asks, tickling her stomach.

"Oh, I wanna go home." Brianne says, playing with his hair. "I just enjoy sitting on your lap."

James smiles and kisses her hand before gently forcing her to get off his lap. She sits in the front passengers seat then he backs out of the parking space. He drives out of the parking lot and onto the street. As he drives by Hollywood Arts, he finds himself thinking about the kids. He hopes that their day is going well. He hopes that Mason is focusing on his school work, rather than girls. He hopes that no one is being mean to Allie. He really hopes that Hadley is staying out of trouble. He just wants them to have a normal day at school without any problems.

Underneath the Hollywood Arts sign, they have posted "RIP Alicia Harris: 2013-2030" That same thing has been posted for the past week. When a student dies, it has a pretty strong impact on the staff and students. Allie told James that everyone is trying to move on and make things as normal as possible, but it's proving to be very difficult for many.

"Hey, what do you think about changing into our bathing suits and going for a swim?" Brianne asks.

"In January?" James asks, confused.

"I know, but it's hot today."

"I guess it would be nice." James says, shrugging.

"Besides, I like when you wear swim trunks." Brianne whispers, kissing his cheek.

James laughs silently and grabs her hand.

**Fifteen minutes later**

"I'm ready." Brianne says in a sing song voice, wrapping her arms around James waist. She squeals as he lifts her into his arms and carries her out the back door. When they arrive at the small steps of the swimming pool, he gently puts her down. He steps into the water, shivering at the cold. He slowly walks farther into the pool until the water is up to his waist. He motions for her to get in, laughing when his wife squeaks and steps into the water. She wraps her legs around his waist and hugs his neck, trying to keep herself warm. She kisses her bare shoulder before pulling away to look him in the eyes.

"Do you think that Kendall and Jo are doing okay with their new baby?" She asks.

"I talk to Kendall this morning." James says. "He said that the baby is fine. She cries a lot, though. He said that he and Jo got up four times last night because Maddie kept waking them up."

"Remember when our kids were babies?" Brianne asks him.

"Yeah, Allie and Mason were sweet, but Hadley has a difficult. Seriously, how many tantrums did she throw? I'm pretty sure that she threw one every day."

"Jay, she did not throw that many tantrums." Brianne giggles, playing with his hair. She starts laughing when James grabs her hand and pulls it away from his hair. He puts her down and starts running his hands through the brown strands. She grabs his face in her hands and pulls him into a kiss, giggling while she kisses him softly.

* * *

><p>Allie walks to her locker and opens it, throwing her books into her locker. She doesn't have practice today, so she's gonna go home and relax. She doesn't have any homework either, so she can be as lazy as she wants. She's exhausted from rehearsals and doing her homework, so it's nice to have a day off.<p>

When she closes her locker, she jumps when she finds Chandler leaning against the lockers. She sighs as she looks at him from the corner of her eye. He hasn't talked to her since Tuesday, so why is he here now? She thought that he would be one of those people that she would only see during rehearsals and they would ignore each other any other time. After all, he has ignores her for the past two days. She's starting to see that this guy is really confusing. One day, he's ignoring you. The next day, he decides to talk to you. What is his problem?

"So I was wondering if you would like to stay after school with me tomorrow? It's going to be empty, so we could practice our duet." He says.

_He wants to practice the duet outside of rehearsal? What?_

"You're not trying to make a move, are you?" She asks suspiciously. Ugh, why did she say that? She just had to put her foot in her mouth.

"Um, no." Chandler says weirdly. "I just noticed that your dancing is a little shabby. That's why I thought that you could use a little help."

"Wow, thanks for the compliment." Allie says sarcastically.

"Hey, don't get all defensive." Chandler says. "Just meet me in the studio after school tomorrow, okay? Unless you have other plans, which I'm pretty sure you don't."

"Do you want to help me or insult me?" Allie asks him.

"Both." Chandler says before turning around and walking away. Allie rolls her eyes and walks towards the front entrance. She pushes the door open and steps outside. Mason and Hadley are already waiting for her, which she's grateful for. She hates having to wait outside in the hot Los Angeles sun.

"Why do you look so happy?" She asks her brother. "Not that being happy isn't a good thing. It's great, but I'm just curious."

"I have a date with Kayla on Saturday night." Mason says as he pulls away from the curb.

"Congrats." Allie says with an amused smile.

"What took you so long?" Hadley asks her.

"Mr. Jerk Face decided to stop by my locker and invite me to practice our duet after school." Allie explains. "Well, it's really his and Leighton's duet, but she won't be able to perform it, so it's really our duet now."

"Why is he suddenly interested in rehearsing with someone?" Mason asks. "He usually sits in the very back of the classroom, barely paying attention to the lesson."

"Well, he's actually really immature." Allie says, rolling her eyes.

"I bet you like immature guys." Hadley teases.

"Hadley!"

* * *

><p>Camille sighs happily as she walks into her home. After a long day at work, she's relieved to be home. As for her job, it's kind of nice having a non Hollywood job. She's teaching many future celebrities, but she's not one herself. She likes that. She use to dream of being a famous actress, but after she had Chris, she realized that she just wanted to regular job. For a year after Chris was born, she stayed home and focused on being a mommy, then she realized that she wanted to go to college. So she applied to UCLa and majored in Drama. She loved college life, maybe more than she enjoyed working as an actress.<p>

She takes her white button up coat off and hangs it on the coat rack. She stretched, then walks over to the couch and sits down. She grabs the remote and changes it to the CW. They are playing reruns of New Town High, even though the show ended quite a few years ago. It lasted for six seasons, which is actually a long run for a TV show. After the show ended, Jo decided that she wanted to move on to more mature roles. Back then, people could only see her as the New Town High girl, but she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. So she started picking edgier and more grown up roles after New Town High ended. It was hard for her to gain a reputation as a serious actress, but it happened when she chose Addicted, a film in which she played a teenage alcoholic. The film received pretty positive reviews and many critics said that Jo proved that she can be more than just the innocent girl from New Town High.

"Dad, will you play video games with me?"  
>Camille smiles when her two favorite guys walk into the house.<p>

"Do you have any homework?" Logan asks, ruffling Chris's hair.

"Not today." Chris says.

"Alright." Logan says. "Just go and see what games you have. I'll be there in a minute."  
>Chris happily runs to his room. Once Logan is sure that the boy is out of sight, he sits next to Camille and pulls her into a kiss. He smiles when Camille touches his cheek.<p>

"I've missed you." She says, kissing his cheek. The guys didn't have rehearsal today, but Logan and Carlos went to some amusement park on the other side of Los Angeles. They've been there for a large part of the day, but Logan had promised Camille that he would pick Chris up from school, so they couldn't stay gone for too long.

"I missed you more." Logan argues playfully.

"Shut up." Camille laughs, kissing him again. "How was the amusement park?"

"Jess ended up tagging along, so I had to listen to her and Carlos alternating between flirting and arguing, they got us kicked off one of the rides because they were being obnoxious, and I almost got beat up by some guy that I don't even know. It may have had something to do with the fact that I called him a nut bar, but that was no reason for him to chase me around the park. I'm just saying."

"Save your discipline skills for our kids." Camille says, playing with his hair.

"Dad!"

"Coming!" Logan says. He looks at Camille and kisses the cheek. "I've gotta go play some video games with our son."

"Have fun." Camille tells him.

Logan squeezes her hand before walking down the small hallway.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Leighton, have you been writing in your journal?" The therapist asks the injured girl. Leighton clutches her journal against her chest and nods.<p>

"Do you want to share what you've written so far?"

Leighton shakes her head and looks at her mom, whimpering.

"Dr. Johansen? I don't think that Leighton is feeling too comfortable with the questions you've been asking her." Hilary says, keeping a hand on Leighton's shoulder. Leighton looks from the therapist, who is probably in her mid forties, to her mom. Hilary looks a bit irritated because Dr. Johansen has been asking some really personal questions that Leighton just isn't ready to answer or not.

"Ms. Carson, I'm trying to help your daughter." Dr. Johansen says coolly. "How can we get her to speak if I don't ask questions?"

"Listen here, lady." Hilary says, sounding harsher than before. "You could show some consideration and start out with questions that don't involve in accident that ruined her life."

Leighton whimpers again, not being able to hear the word "accident" without wanting to cry.

"Sorry, honey." Hilary says, glaring at Dr. Johansen.

"Do you want your daughter to get help or not?" The therapist asks, irritated by Hilary's reaction to her questions.

"Yes," Hilary says calmly. "But if you don't show some respect, we'll get another therapist. If you don't like that, you should think about being a little more considerate. We came to this place because Leighton's doctor said that it would be the best place for her to get help, so I expect us to get the respect that we deserve."

"Okay, I don't know who you think you are, but I'm not..." Dr. Johansen starts to say.

"If a question makes my daughter uncomfortable, I'm going to say something about it!" Hilary retorts. She feels Leighton tugging at her sweater and she looks down at her daughter, who is shaking her head and mouthing "Stop." Hilary takes a deep and calming breath, trying to cool down.

"Look, I'm just asking for a little consideration, okay?" She says. "It's been more than a week since Leighton's whole life changed, but I think it's going to take a lot of time before she feels ready to talk about things. I just don't want you to push her. She's already frightened enough by everything that has happened and I don't want to make it worse."

Dr. Johansen's eyes show a hint of sympathy.

"Alright." She sighs. "I apologize."

She looks at her watch and frowns when she sees that their time is up.

"Oh." She says. "It looks like we've ran out of time."

Hilary groans silently. They spent the last minutes of Leighton's therapy arguing?

"Right." She whispers, pushing Leighton out of the office. Leighton frowns as she looks up at her mom before writing something on her notepad. She hands it to Hilary, who stops in the middle of the hallway so she can read the message.

_Could you call Mrs. Mitchell? I want to know how talent show rehearsals are going._

"Of course." Hilary says as she takes her cell phone out of her pocket. She dials the Mitchell's home phone number and waits for some to pick up. it has to ring three times before someone finally answers. She's kind of impatient when it comes to waiting on the phone. She just hates standing there, waiting for someone to answer.

"Hello?" Logan says.

"Logan, it's Hilary. Can I speak to Camille?"

"Um, sure." Logan says. "Cam! Hilary's on the phone."

"Coming!" Camille's voice calls out.

Soon enough, she has taken the phone from Logan.

"Hey, what's going on? How's Leighton doing?" She asks, showing genuine concern for her student.

"I guess she's okay. She still doesn't talk, but she's not totally lifeless either." Hilary says, playing with Leighton's hair. "She just wants to know how rehearsals are going."

"Everything is fine." Camille says with a small laugh, "She really shouldn't be worried about."

"Everything is going fine, honey." Hilary tells Leighton. She frowns when the girl hands her the notepad.

_That Allie Diamond chick isn't ruining it, is she?_

"Okay, I'll ask." Hilary sighs tiredly. "She wants to know that Allie isn't messing it up."

"Allie's doing fine."

"She's doing fine." Hilary whispers. "It's okay."

Leighton nods, crossing her arms.

"I should be going now." Hilary says.

"Bye."

"Bye." Hilary responds before hanging up. She puts the cell phone in her pocket and sighs heavily as she continues pushing Leighton down the hallway.

**Songs:**

**Uncharted-Sara Bareilles**

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	13. You're So Irritating

"You're sure that this guy isn't a troublemaker?" James asks worriedly, learning against the kitchen island. He's talking to Allie on the phone. She just got done with her last class of the day and now she's headed to the studio to rehearse her duet with this Chandler guy. He has seen the guys that Hadley has dated and he doesn't want Allie getting involved with those kinds of people. They're nothing but trouble. Hadley hated a freshman when she was in eighth grade and he got arrested for disorderly conduct. He and Hadley broke up two weeks later. He really hopes that Chandler isn't one of those guys. He trusts Allie. He knows that she wouldn't go out and do anything stupid, but James doesn't want her to have bad influences in her life. She's his oldest daughter, but he wishes that she could be his little girl forever, but she's growing up. She's going to graduate from high school in a few months and she's probably going to move out of the house. He's a grown man and he's going to stay strong, but he's starting to have doubts about letting her go. He's going to miss his baby girl. If she gets involved with the Chandler guy, she might grow up sooner and become more independent than he wants her to be.

"Dad, he's fine." Allie says as she closes her locker. "He's immature, but he's perfectly safe."

James gulps quietly. He still doesn't like the sound of this. He doesn't know this guy. He doesn't know the guy's family. Is he getting too far ahead of himself? Maybe so. He doesn't know, but he's feeling really nervous about this whole thing. He's staying calm, but he's freaking out on the inside.

"Dad?" Allie asks, confused by her dad's silence.

"Um, enjoy your rehearsal." James says, clearing his throat. "I'll take you to Rocque Records tomorrow and show you some moves, okay?"

"Okay." Allie says. "Thanks, dad."

"I love you." James whispers.

"I love you too." Allie says before hanging up.

James groans as he puts the phone on the receiver.

When Allie turns around, she jumps at the sight of Chandler leaning against her locker. She rolls her eyes as she gives him a look. They don't see each other much during the day, but she did see him during lunch. Apparently, his new goal in life is to irritate her as much as he can. He loves to insult. He loves making fun of her "psycho family" and joking about her being a paparazzi princess. Neither one of those statements are true. Her family is not crazy and she hardly ever gets harassed by the paparazzi. Maybe every once in a while, but it doesn't happen that often. She's a normal, non celebrity that just happens to have famous parents. She tells him that too, but he just responds with "Whatever." Basically, he's an immature jerk, but he doesn't seem to mind that at all. In fact, he seems to enjoy it.

"Let's just go." She sighs as they start walking down the hallway.

"I heard that your brother has a date with Kayla Zevon on Saturday." Chandler tells her. "Man, that girl is fine."

"You're a pain, you know that?" Allie says as she opens the door to the empty dance studio. She takes her grey zip up jacket off and hangs it over the back of the chair. She turns around and watches as Chandler takes his own black hoodie. He's wearing jeans and a white T shirt. He looks pretty hot with that shirt emphasizing those arms of his, but she tries to look bored. She's not one to act desperate or too eager. She doesn't even find herself that attracted to him. He's just a guy that she's going to be performing with. They're dance partners and that's all they're ever gonna be.

"Alright, let's do this." He says, walking to one side of the room. He winks at Allie and gives her a smile. She rolls her eyes and pulls the rubberband out of her hair, letting the strands fall to her shoulders. Chandler is whistling loudly, tapping his foot.

"Getting bored over here." He sings.

"Then let's get on with it." Allie smiles sarcastically. She turns the music on and walks to the middle of the dance floor. Leighton had arranged the choreographer so that she was the first one in the spotlight. That's a problem for Allie because she doesn't like being the center of attention.

**_(They start singing "Hit The Lights")_**

"Stop!" Allie says quickly. Chandler sighs heavily as he stops dancing, looking at her with a bored expression.

"What?" He asks calmly.

"I think I messed up that last step." She says. "I landed too hard. Try picking me up again."

Chandler groans as he stands in front of her, putting his hands on her sides. He lifts her up and gracefully moves her to his opposite frowns when she shakes her head.

"No, that's not right." She says, shaking her head.

"Look, can we just keep rehearsing?" Chandler asks. "Let's just get through the song, then we'll go back and fix the many mistakes that you've made."  
>"Jerk." Allie says, slapping his arm. Chandler smirks and turns the music back on.<p>

"Just try not to screw up this time." He whispers in her ear, wrapping his arm around her waist. He gives her a friendly squeeze and smirks at her.

Allie rolls her eyes as she pushes him away. What has she gotten herself into?

* * *

><p>Worst...Rehearsal...Ever!<p>

That's what Allie is thinking as she walks out of the school. After rehearsing the song for two hours, Chandler announced that he needed to get home. Not only did he continuously make fun of her dancing, she just proved his point. Every time he made a comment about her moves, she always ended up screwing up the routine and proving him right. She doesn't know how she's going to show her face at the next rehearsal. He's probably going to tell the rest of the group how bad she is, then she'll be completely humiliated. Not that she isn't already embarrassed enough.

She whines as pain shoots through her body. She never realized how tiring practicing for a talent show really is. All she wants to do is go home and take a nap. Maybe she can make herself a smoothie. She feels like her whole body is on fire, so a cool drink might do her some good.

She watches as James pulls up to the curb. She picks her back pack up and walks to the van, getting into the front passengers seat. She tosses her back pack into the backseat, then closes her eyes and groans quietly.

James chuckles as he pushes some hair away from her face.

"Tired?" He laughs as he leaves the parking lot.

"Yes." Allie mumbles.

"You really need to go to the gym." James says, shaking his head.

"Daddy!" Allie whines.

"Just saying." James says. "If you never get a work out, you get out of shape. If you're going to make it in this show, you need to get in shape."

He laughs as Allie whines again and rests her head against the window, falling asleep.

When they get home, James shakes Allie awake. Once she has woken up, they get out of the car and begin walking into the house. Mason went to the mall because he wanted to get a new outfit for his date with Kayla. Hadley went with him, even though he kept protesting the idea of taking his little sister. Of course, Hadley got her way. She kept arguing until he finally gave in. James and Brianne have had to train themselves into not giving in when she argues. It was hard at first, but now they can easily win against her in an argument. In fact, she rarely argues with them anymore because she knows that she'll be trouble.

Brianne went to help Kendall and Jo with baby Maddie. So it's just James and Allie for right now.

"Maybe we could make a smoothie in a minute." James says, ruffling her hair.

"Sounds great." Allie says as she puts her back pack on the couch. She grabs the remote and turns the TV on, yawning. James wraps his arm around her and walks to the kitchen. He chuckles when he sees that she is nearly falling asleep in his arms. He squeezes her tightly and kisses her head before pulling away.

"Wanna take nap first?" He asks. "We can make the smoothie later."

"Yeah." Allie nods. James gives her another hug and kisses her cheek before letting her walk to her room. He walks to the refrigerator and grabs a Coke, walking to the living room. He collapses onto the couch, frowning at the sight of an old Hannah Montana episode. That show ended years ago and they're still playing reruns? James has nothing against Miley Cyrus, but he's surprised that they would still be playing Hannah Montana reruns when the show ended while he was still a teenager. Okay...He's going to change the channel to MTV.

As he is watching some Beyonce music video, he hears the front door open. He just keeps walking to the TV until Brianne sits on his lap. He gives her a smile and returns his attention to the TV. He lets Brianne gently stroke his face while he stares at the screen. When Brianne's hand cups his cheek, he turns his head and kisses the palm of her hand.

"How did Allie's rehearsal go?" She asks quietly.

"Let's just say that she was ready for a nap when we got home." James says, kissing her cheek.

"And how are you doing?" Brianne asks, wrapping her arms around him.

"Pretty good." James says, rubbing her back. "What about you?"

"Tired." Brianne says, playing with his hair. They both shriek when they hear a loud crash from outside. They stand up and rush to the front door, opening it up. They see Mason's car parked in the driveway and their trashcan knocked over with it's contents on the ground. They give Mason and Hadley a stern look, motioning for them to come inside.

* * *

><p>"Why did you knock the trashcan over?" James asks Mason and Hadley, who are sitting on the couch. They slowly look up at their parents, smiling nervously.<p>

"We were arguing and I wasn't paying attention." Mason says awkwardly. "But Hadley totally embarrassed me today. We ran into some of my friends and she told them that I still play with action figures. Well, she referred to them as dolls, but they're action figures! ACTION FIGURES!"

Hadley rolls her eyes at her brother and smiles at her parents.

"It' was revenge for the many times that he has embarrassed me in front of my friends." She says, glaring at Mason.

"Hadley, you don't need to get revenge!" Brianne says adamantly. "Revenge never solves anything."

"Why are you guys getting so worked up over a trashcan?" Mason asks.

"It's not about the trashcan." James says calmly. "It's about the fact that you two keep arguing. What if that had been a person? Do you realize how serious driving is? If you don't pay attention to what you're doing, accidents can happen. You can kill or injure yourself or someone else."

"That's why you're going to cancel your date with Kayla." Brianne says. When Mason starts to argue, she quickly interrupts him. "Instead, you're going to stay home and spend time with your sister."

"Why?" Mason and Hadley yell in unison.

"You two need to learn how to get along." James says. "You don't spend enough time together. You need to sit down and talk about your relationship. You need to learn how to understand each other. Right, Brie?"

"Yeah." Brianne nods.

"Unbelievable." Mason says as he stands up. He to his and Allie's room, slamming the door.

"I'll talk to him later." Brianne says before looking at Hadley. "Do you understand this, missy?"

"Well, I have no plans on Saturday, so this isn't really a big deal." Hadley shrugs. "It's just the fact that I have to hang out with him."

"And we'll make sure that Allie has something to do, so you and Mason can really focus on talking things out." James smiles.

"Eh, that'll work." Hadley shrugs. "Maybe she can stay over at Chandler's house!"

"No!" James says quickly.

"Your dad is a little sensitive about that." Brianne says, rubbing James bicep.

"Oh." Hadley whispers. "My bad."

* * *

><p>Allie is startled awake when the door slams. She opens her eyes and rolls onto her back, watching as Mason sits on his own bed, crossing his arms.<p>

"What's wrong with you?" She asks him.

"I have to cancel my date with Kayla because Hadley and I were fighting again and I crashed into the trashcan." Mason mutters. "Instead, I have to spend my Saturday night with Hadley. Mom and Dad want us to spend time together and talk things out. There's nothing to talk about, though. I mean, we've always fought like this. Isn't that what brothers and sisters do? Haven't you and I argued before?"

"Yeah." Allie says, sitting up.

"Does that mean that we have a bad relationship?"

"Of course not." Allie says.

"Well, I don't understand why Mom and Dad are doing this to me." Mason says. "Making me cancel my date so I can spend time with my 's not fair!"

"Mase, don't you think that you and Hadley fight just a little too much? I know that siblings fight, but you guys tend to go overboard."

"Allie, you're on their side?" Mason complains.

"I'm on no one's side." Allie says as she stands up, moving to his bed. She sits next to him and wraps her arms around him, kissing his cheek. "But I get pretty tired of you and Hadley storming into the house, arguing about whatever. It really does get kind of old, you know."

"By the way, Mom and Dad want you out of the house while Hadley and I are having our sibling bonding time." Mason tells her.

"Okay, now I have a problem with it!" Allie says, looking at him.

"Hadley suggested going to Chandler's place." Mason teases.

"No, he's a jerk and I don't want to see him outside of rehearsal." Allie says, shaking her head. If she has to see him anywhere other than school, she's gonna scream. She already gets enough of him as it is. She really doesn't want to deal with him any more than she already does. About halfway into their rehearsal today, she started getting a headache because he was so annoying.

"Is he that bad?" Mason asks her.

"He's not the kind of guy that I'm interested in." Allie says, shrugging. "He's loud, obnoxious, crazy, makes really stupid jokes, doesn't care too much about school, and he made fun of my dancing. I mean, I know it's bad, but I can't help it! I'm just not a dancer, okay? People shouldn't judge me for that."

"If he messes with you too much, he'll have to deal with me." Mason says, hugging his sister.

"He called me a dumb blonde." Allie says, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Well, you kinda are a dumb blonde." Mason says, pretending to look thoughtful.

"Meanie!" Allie gasps, playfully punching his shoulder.

"I'm gonna tell our parents that you did that." Mason tells her.

"You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

"Okay." Allie mumbles, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry."

She hears Mason chuckling as he hugs her again. Eve n though she has a jerk for a dance partner, at least she has her brother.

* * *

><p><strong>Today is Logan's birthday! Happy 22nd birthday, Logan! :)<strong>

**Anyway, please review! :D**


	14. Out Tonight

**Thirty five reviews in thirteen chapters? Wow, my readers are awesome! Thank you all so much! :)**

"Okay, this isn't working!" Allie says as she stands up again. She has been working on her dancing with her dad and the rest of the guys for the past hour, but it's not exactly going well. She isn't picking up on the moves very well. Every time she tries a move, she ends up falling on her face. She's starting to worry that her dad and his friends are getting irritated. They don't seem annoyed, but they could be hiding their true emotions. She just wishes that their was something that could turn her into a great dancer. This is starting to become really hard for her. She's trying her best to learn, but it's too difficult. She can easily understand something like History or English, but she is lost when it comes to performing. That's pretty pathetic, right? She's the daughter of two famous singers, yet she can't even learn a few simple dance moves? Also, Mason and Hadley are talented, so she doesn't know why she can't be.

"Hey, you've just gotta keep trying." Logan says as he does a boy band style spin. Allie groans as she tries to imitate him, but Carlos has to catch her before she can hit the ground. See? She isn't cut out for this. She just wants to go home and watch some movies with Mason and Hadley. Of course, she's going to spend the night with Carlos, Jessica, and Tara while Mason and Hadley have their forced "sibling bonding time." James and Brianne are gonna go on a romantic date. Allie can't believe that she's being kicked out for the night just because Mason and Hadley can't stop fighting.

"Hey, guys." Brianne says as she walks into the studio, holding a bag from The Coffee House. That's the coffee shop across the street. It's been around for many years, but it's still popular. The guys like going there during their breaks. It's a good place to get a refreshing drink or a delicious snack. They all agree that the donuts are amazing.

"I got the donuts." She says, walking over to the group. She kisses James on the cheek and kisses Allie's forehead before taking a chocolate covered donut out of the bag. Then she hands the bag to James. The guys and Allie each take a donut before Brianne throws the bag away.

"How is practice going?" She asks as she sits on the floor, taking her lap top from its carrier. She is in the mood to watch some home videos. As the kids were growing up, she loved filming their cute moments and uploading them to her computer. She saved them all on a flash drive, so she was able to upload them again when she got her new lap top. She would hate to lose those memories. Anyway, she's going to watch her favorite video first. James was twenty one and Allie was two. They were enjoying some daddy/daughter time together. The video just consists of them talking, laughing, and sharing a few hugs and kisses. Brianne has loved it ever since she first filmed it.

"Bad." The guys and Allie say in unison.

"Hey, maybe we should stop for today." Kendall suggests. "I need to get home and be with Jo and Maddie."

"Yeah." James sighs. "We'll see you later."

"Sounds great!" Kendall says before grabbing his gym bag and rushing out of the dance studio.

James yawns and stretches as he sits next to Brianne, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He looks at the computer screen and watches as Brianne clicks on a video. He grins when he and Allie appear on the screen. James is holding two year old Allie and smiling at the camera. His twenty one year old self whispers something to his daughter and smiles, placing a big kiss on her cheek. James loves this video as much as Brianne does.

_"Hey, I'm just spending some time with my little girl." James says, smiling at Allie. "We've been playing with her dolls. Don't tell anyone about that because I only did it for Allie. Isn't that right, sweetie? I only did it for you. Don't tell your uncles that we did that, okay? Or do you plan on telling them anyway?"_

_When Allie nods, James laughs and smiles widely, his nose touching her cheek._

_ "Are you gonna keep it a secret or are you gonna tell on me?" He asks._

_ "Tell." Allie says. James looks at the camera and pretends to look shocked. Brianne's giggles can be heard and soon enough, James starts laughing too. He grabs Allie's hand and kisses it before stroking her cheek. He pushes some of her hair away from her face, looking at her with love. _

_ "Hey, the guys will make fun of me." He says with a smile."Seriously, they'll never let me live it down."_

_"So?" Allie questions._

_"Daddy doesn't need his friends making fun of him." James says, chuckling. "Now why don't you give daddy a kiss? He needs some love."_

_ "Mommy alweady kissed you." Allie says._

_"Yeah, but that's different." James says. "I want a kiss from my other girl too."_

_Allie kisses his cheek and he smiles, returning the kiss. James mouths "She loves me" to the camera. That's when Brianne stands next to him and turns the camera around. She rests her head on James shoulder and looks at the camera, smiling. She looks at James and says something to him. When he quietly responds, she starts talking out loud._

_"We're bored." She says. "Hadley and Mason are asleep, so Allie is entertaining us."_

_She kisses James on the cheek and sighs as James kisses the top of her head._

With that, the video ends. James and Brianne sigh dreamily, remembering the old days. The days when they were still young and the kids were still babies. Now James and Brianne are thirty six and their children are in high school. Life is great right now, but they're not getting any younger. During their teenage years, they could party, run around, and do whatever they wanted. They're too old for that stuff now.

"I feel really old now." Brianne says.

"Let's go home and get ready for our date." James tells her. He smiles flirtatiously as he kisses her cheek. "It's going to be really romantic."

"Ooh, I like the around of that." Brianne whispers, kissing him passionately.

"HEY, I NEED A RIDE HOME!" Carlos says loudly. "My car is in the shop and Jessica is at a meeting with her director and I really want to go home. So if you could be so kind and stop making out, that would be great."

"We're coming." Brianne says as she and James stand up.

"Carlos, remember that Allie's going to spend the night at your place." James tells his friend.

"Yeah." Carlos says, ruffling Allie's hair. "Hey, we're gonna watch Jessica's new movie that just come out on DVD. It's the craziest thing that you'll ever watch."

* * *

><p>Mason watches in complete boredom as he watches Hadley practice her dance routine. She had some guy at school mix some Britney Spears songs into one cool song, so she can perform a medley at the talent show. This is not how Mason planned on spending his weekend. He was going to go on a date with Kayla, possibly make out with her, then he was going to go home and watch a movie. He does not want to spend Saturday watching his annoying sister practice her dance routine. It's boring! Besides, he needs to practice his song. Really, Hadley is just wasting Mason''s valuable rehearsing time.<p>

"Try all you want, but you're never gonna dance like Britney." He says. "She a legend and you're just a girl from a performing arts high school."

"Watch it." Hadley says as she spins around. "Britney may be the Queen Of Pop, but I'm going to take over that title in a couple years."

"Actually, our mom is the Queen Of Pop now." Mason smirks. "Are you gonna tell our mom that you plan on taking her title?"

"Shut up." Hadley says as she performs a series of complicated hip hop moves. Mason groans as he grabs a pillow, burying his face in it. Why do his parents insist on punishing him like this? If they wanted to punish him, they should've made him clean up the garbage that he knocked over. He would rather do that, instead of watching Hadley practice.

"If you wanna throw a tantrum, I have a baseball bat in my room." Hadley tells him. "Take it to the back yard and just hit the ground with it. That always cools me down."

"And you always scare the neighbors." Mason tells her. "Last time you did that, Lauren almost called the police because she thought that someone was being attacked."

Hadley is about to respond when the front door opens. She turns the music off as James and Brianne walk into the room. Their parents give them a smile. Both teens sigh and cross their arms as James and Brianne look at them with hopeful expressions. Those two are really hoping that Mason and Hadley will start bonding.

"Well, we proved that we can go more than an hour without killing each other." Mason says, standing up. "Can I call Kayla and ask her back out?"

"Nope." Brianne says happily. "You two need to spend the whole day together. It'll be a good thing for you two."

"What have you kids been doing anyway?" James asks.

"I've been practicing my dance while Mason has been moping around." Hadley says as she turns the music back on.

"Why don't you two watch a movie or something?" Brianne suggests.

"We'll never agree on something. "Mason says.

"How about...The Varsity Vampire series?" James asks. "The movies are old, but I still think they're pretty good. Besides, we all know that Hadley likes vampires."

"Ugh, fine." Mason says as James hands the Varsity Vampire box set to him. Two years after Varsity Vampire 3 was filmed, they made a fourth and final film for the series. It's about the Varsity Vampire characters graduating from high school. The only problem is that Ashley, played by Tiffany Landers, causes some trouble for the rest of the group. Ashley is a bad vampire. In Varsity Vampire 3, she and her vampire army tried to take over Vampire High, but Jason (Dak Zevon), Haleigh (Brianne), and their friends fought back. They saved Vampire High and defeated Ashley. In Varsity Vampire 4, she returns and causes a lot of problems.

"Have fun!" Brianne says before she and James walk up the stairs.

Mason and Hadley look at each other with disgust.

"You make me sick." They growl in unison.

* * *

><p>Leighton has been in rehab for a week and she's having pretty average success. She does fairly well in her exercises, but there are some days where she is just too tired to do anything. Hilary has also seen her write on her notepad that she wants to go home several times. She hasn't really bonded with other patients yet, so she doesn't really do anything except go to her therapy sessions then come back to her room. Today she's going on a group outing with the other adolescent patients. Hilary can tell that she doesn't really want to go, but Dr. Johansen thinks that it would be a good thing for her. Since she's probably going to be here for a while, she should try to make some friends. There's just one problem with that. Leighton still refuses to talk, so it'll be hard for her to become friends with anyone.<p>

"This is a really cute top." Hilary says as she fixes the strops of Leighton's white and flowing spaghetti strap tank top. "I might have to find one for myself."

She laughs when Leighton gives her a weird look. Okay, she probably doesn't want her mom to own the same outfit as her.

"Never mind." She says as she grabs a brush, combing Leighton's red hair. She and Hilary are both natural brunette, but started coloring their hair as soon as they were old enough. For some reason, they both chose red.. Leighton said that the color red reminds her of red velvet cupcakes. Hilary had to laugh at that statement because it's so hilarious and adorable.

"Are you ready for the trip?" She asks, putting the brush down. Leighton crosses her arms and shakes her head, mouthing "No."

"Well, it's going to be really fun." Hilary tells her. "You'll see! Besides, I'm coming with you, so you have no reason to feel unsafe."

Leighton shrugs and sighs heavily. She shifts in her wheelchair, trying to get comfortable.

"Alright, it's time to go." Hilary says, pushing Leighton out of the room. She closes the door, making sure it's locked before pushing her daughter down the hallway.

* * *

><p>James hums softly as he runs his lucky comb through his hair. He's really eager to start his date with Brianne. He's planning on taking his wife to one of the nicest restaurants in Los Angeles. They will be enjoying some time in a quiet corner of the restaurant with the lights dimmed. They serve sea food, which James and Brianne both love.<p>

As he looks at the mirror, he sees Brianne standing in the doorway of their bathroom, wearing jeans and a white T shirt with a black wrap around cardigan. James turns around and smiles as she walks over to him, hugging his waist. He rubs her arms and kisses the top of her head.

"Ready to go?" He asks.

"Yeah." Brianne says. "Just let me get my purse."

James kisses her cheek before letting her go. He walks over to the bed and lays down. He closes his eyes until he feels his wife straddling his waist and kissing him. He opens his eyes and returns the kiss before Brianne climbs off of him. He sits up and wraps his arm around her waist, leading her out of the bedroom.

"Do you think that Mason and Hadley will be okay?" She asks him as they walk down the stairs.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." James says, looking at the two teenagers. They are sitting on the couch, watching the first Varsity Vampire film.

"You kids be good, okay?" Brianne says. "Be in bed by eleven thirty."

"Got it." Mason says.

"Good." Brianne says, kissing both of them on their heads.

"Everything will be in one piece when we get home, right?" James says.

"Sure." Hadley says, not really paying attention.

James smiles and grabs Brianne's hand, leading her out of the house. They need to hurry up and get to the restaurant before their table is given to someone else.

**Thirty minutes later**

"I can't believe that you actually took me here." Brianne says, reaching across the table to hold James hands. "You have gotta be the sweetest and most romantic guy that i've ever met."

James doesn't blush if he can help it. However, this is one of those moments where he can't help it. When a pretty girl calls him sweet and romantic, blushing is expected. If he was still in the whole "Play the field" phase in his life, it wouldn't be such a big deal. When he was a teenager, he would usually date a girl for a few weeks, sometimes a few months, then he would break up with them. He was the cool guy that every girl wanted to date. Then he decided to see what it was like to be in a serious and committed relationship. He found that he liked that. He liked the idea of being with one person for the rest of his life. He had never really thought about getting married. When he and Brianne started dating, James thought that she might be like the other girls. However, after a few weeks, he started to realize that she might be The One. After a couple months, he did the unthinkable. He proposed to Brianne and, even though she was a bit apprehensive, she said yes. James wasn't expecting her to accept his proposal.

"Yeah." He says shyly, smiling when Brianne strokes his cheek. He frowns as her hand touches his jaw and shin.

"When is the last time you shaved?" Branne asks him.

"A few weeks." James says. "Why?"

"You need to shave." Brianne tells him. "You've got some stubble growing."

"What have you got against guys with facial hair?" James asks, pretending to be insulted.

"Nothing!" Brianne laughs, pushing his bangs away from his forehead. "I would just feel a little weird kissing you if you grew a beard. It would full all rough and scratchy. I don't know if I would like that."

James shrugs as he grabs her hand, kissing it gently

"Here are your shrimp cocktails." The waitress says, putting two plates on the table. "Enjoy!"

Once she is gone, James and Brianne start eating their meals.

"Amazing." Brianne says while chewing a shrimp.

"What did I tell you?" James grins.

"And this cocktail sauce is delicious." Brianne tells him.

"I was craving sea food, so I thought that this place would be perfect." James tells him.

"It was." Brianne says with a smile as she stands up. She talks around the table and wraps her arms around him, kissing his cheek. After she is done, she returns to her seat. She continues eating, sighing in satisfaction. She just wishes that they had given more than six shrimp. Oh well! That should be enough to satisfy their appetites. She was just hoping that she could take some home.

James eats the last shrimp and burps quietly, watching as Brianne smiles in amusement.

"Excuse you." She says playfully.

"Oh, hush." James mutters.

"Here is your check." The waitress tells them.

"We'll just pay in cash." Brianne says, handing forty dollars to her. "Keep the change."

"Thanks." The waitress says before walking away.

"Let's go." James says, wrapping his arm around Brianne. He kisses her temple as they walk out of the restaurant. Now that they've had their romantic dinner, they're gonna go on a little joy ride. Drive around Los Angeles like they use to do. It's fun, relaxing, and it brings back a lot of memories. When they were younger, they would let their friends or one of the trusted adults (Mrs. Knight, Gustavo, Allison, Walter, or Kelly) watch the kids while they went out on a date. However, they didn't do it very often. Maybe every couple months or so. They weren't going to make their friends care for their children. As parents, their kids are their responsibility.

"What are we gonna do now?" Brianne asks, hugging his waist.

"Just drive around LA." James tells her.

"That sounds like fun." Brianne says, squeezing him tighter.

As they are walking to the van, some paparazzi start following them and taking pictures. They ignore the photographers questions and requests. They aren't trying to be unfriendly, but they don't feel like doing a press conference in the middle of the parking lot. They just want to enjoy a romantic night out.

They finally reach their car and get in, quickly closing the door. When James sees that the paparazzi aren't moving, he honks the horn. The paparazzi move out of the way and he starts backing out of the parking space. He drives out of the parking lot, relieved to be away from the invasive paparazzi.

"I wonder when those guys will get bored." He says. "Do they do anything that doesn't involve following celebrities?"

"Jay, they have lives outside of Hollywood, but they have a job. They get paid to take pictures of us." Brianne reminds him. "As long as they don't sneak into my house, follow me into the restroom, and I'm not in the middle of a scandal, I don't really care if they take pictures."

"It gets kind of annoying, though." James tells her. "I mean, never being able to go out in public without getting followed."

"Yeah, but we're happy, right?" Brianne says. "We have each other, our family, our friends, and our careers."

"Yeah." James agrees. "I guess that's true."

"We have to look at the bright side." Brianne smiles.

James smiles as he grabs her hand. When you're famous, you pretty much need to look at the bright side. THe downside of fame is the constant presence of the paparazzi, but James loves his life. He knows that he has a lot to be happy about. That's why he doesn't usually complain about the paparazzi. He's living his dream and he he has his family and friends. It couldn't get much better than that.

* * *

><p><strong>I had a minor case of Writers Block with this chapter, but it got better! :D<strong>

**Review! :)**


	15. Cliques, Paparazzi, and Visitors

Allie looks around the crowded Asphalt Cafe as she carries her lunch to her usual table. Tara said that she's going to be a little late to lunch because she has to finish her Science test, so Allie is going to be sitting alone for a little while. That's the story of her life. If Tara can't make it to lunch, Allie sits alone. SHe really hates that, but she's starting to get use to it. She's a loner! So what! In five months, she's going to be off to college and the whole high school popularity thing won't matter anymore. Camille told her that college isn't a popularity contest. No one cares if you were homecoming queen or president of the drama club. Allie thinks that she's going to like that. She's tired of all this talk about what's cool and what's not. Adults don't care about cliques and popularity. There aren't any cliques in college. It sounds perfect!

She sits down and sits her burrito in front of her. She picks up and takes a bite before drinking some of her tea. From a distance, she can Morgan sitting at another table with some other girls. Since Alicia and Leighton aren't here, Morgan has managed to take over the role of Queen Bee. People are afraid of her and they never bring up her two friends because they don't want to upset her. Allie thinks that she's even meaner than she was when Leighton and Alicia were around. When they were here, she was just a follower, but now she has been left to rule the school.

As she is about to bite down on the burrito again, a certain brown haired and green eyed boy sits across from her. She gives him a suspicious look. He has never sat with her at lunch before. In fact, they never even acknowledged each other before Allie was forced into this talent show. Why is he suddenly taking an interest in sitting with her?

"Can I help you?" She asks slowly.

"Well, you were sitting by yourself, so I thought that I would keep you company." Chandler says, grabbing her burrito. He takes a huge bite before putting it back on her plate. She stares at the burrito in shock. She can't believe that he would just randomly take food off her plate and eat it. He's so immature!

"Not cool." She says, pushing the burrito aside. "Why did you do that?"

"Does it bother you?"

"Yeah, it does."

"There's your answer." Chandler says as he grabs the burrito, putting it on his own plate. "Since you're obviously not going to eat this, I'll just have it for myself. I'm starving. I woke up late this morning, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast. You can understand that, right?"

Allie rolls her eyes and looks around, hoping that Tara will show up soon. Of course, she isn't exactly a science expert, so it'll probably take forever for her to finish that test. Allie just wants someone to sit with her, so she doesn't have to be alone with this jerk. He's already irritated her by taking her lunch. She knows that he probably has other ways to get on her nerves.

"Looking for someone?"

"Anyone but you." Allie mutters, sighing in relief when she sees Hadley by the Grub Truck. When her sister turns around, she motions to the girl. Hadley signals for her to hold on, turning around and getting her meal. Then she walks over to Allie's table and sits next to her. She starts eating the bowl of cheese ravioli, slowly looking up when she sees Chandler.

"What's he doing here?" She asks through a mouthful of ravioli.

"Don't ask." Allie says, glaring at Chandler.

"I can definitely tell that you two are sisters." Chandler says. "Same facial features, same horrible attitude..."

"Build a bridge and get over it." Hadley responds.

"Chandler!" Morgan calls out, motioning to him. Chandler seems annoyed by this, but he stands up.

"See you later." He mutters before walking over to Morgan's table. The girl gives Allie and Hadley a weird look, whispering something to Chandler. Hadley starts to give Morgan a rude gesture, but Allie quickly grabs her hand and forces her to put it down. She glares at Morgan and mouths a few foul words, making sure that the mean girl knows what she's saying. Morgan gives her a shocked look and turns around, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. At first, Allie doesn't notice what Hadley is saying, but when she does, she slaps her hand over her sister's mouth.

"Calm down." She whispers.

"She deserves it." Hadley says, eating more of the ravioli. "Hey, Chandler got two burritos? How can he possibly eat both?"

"Actually, this one is mine." Allie says as she retrieves her burrito. "He took it from me."

"I think he likes you." Hadley tells her.

"No, he doesn't." Allie laughs.

"Allie, when a guy picks on a girl, it means that he likes her." Hadley explains.

"Yeah, right." Allie giggles in amusement as she stands up, throwing her plate away before sitting back down.

There is no way that Chandler likes her. They can't even get along during their practices, so he couldn't possibly have any interest in her. It makes her want to crack up with laughter because it's so impossible. When she gets a boyfriend, it's going to be a responsible and mature college guy.

* * *

><p>Jack motions for the guys to stop dancing. The four men obey and watch as Kelly whispers something to him. He nods before turning the look at the boy band.<p>

"Alright, you guys can take a twenty minute break." He says. "Griffin is here and has something important to talk to me about."

The guys sigh in relief and walk to the wall where they've put their gym bags. They grab the water bottles that their wives forced them to take to practice, drinking heavily. Once their thirst is quenched, they put the water bottles away. They stretch before leaving the dance studio. Once they arrive at the stylish sitting area, they collapse onto the couch. They've been working on a Greatest Hits album and Jack is making them practice their older songs to prepare them for some upcoming performances. The album is going to be released very soon and they're going to be doing a lot of promoting. The album is going to have three new songs on it and Jack wants to release at least one of those songs as a single. To promote the new album, they'll be going on talk shows, doing some magazine interviews, and Jack is even going to get them on the cover of Rolling Stones. He has already been talking to the editors and they said they would love to photograph the band..

They're having a lot of fun, but all this hard work is exhausting.

"How much longer until we can go home?" Carlos asks.

"Four more hours." Kendall says, looking at his watch. The other guys groan in frustration and exhaustion.

"No!, Alaina, I don't know what we're going to do about this. Look, I'm sure it'll blow over in a few days." A familiar voice says. Seconds later, Katie enters the lobby. She looks tired and stressed out as she talks to her client. "Hey, I'll come up with something! Just lay low for now until I can come up with a plan. We're not going to let one little scandal ruin your career. Hey, there's no reason to scream. Alaina, I've gotta go. I'm visiting my brother today. Okay, bye."

She puts her phone in her purse and smiles at the guys. She has grown up a lot. Her is still a light brown, but now falls in loose waves and ends at her mid back. She has a thin figure and is five foot seven. She's wearing skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a white blazer, along with a pair of white sunglasses.

"You know my client, Alaina Valentine? Some photos of her surfaced online, so I've got a celebrity scandal to get under control." She says.

"What kind of pictures?" Logan asks, looking confused.

"Let's just say that they involve Alaina at a club with alcohol, drugs, and a bunch of drunken idiots." Katie tells them. "It's bad for anyone to touch that stuff, but people making such a big deal out of Alaina's situation because she's considered a role model for her young fans. She's been working with DIsney for the past four years, so she's expected to be a good role model. That's not working too well for her."

"Wow." Kendall says, standing up. "Aright, give your big brother a hug."

Katie happily hugs her brother, then the other guys walk over to her and she hugs them too.

"You look great." Kendall tells her. "You need to visit more often."

"I'm sorry." Katie tells him. "I've been busy."

"With what?" James asks while looking at his phone.

"Working with my clients." Katie explains. "Well, it's more like babysitting when it comes to Alaina, but whatever."

"Right." Kendall whispers. "Anyway, we're gonna go back to the dance studio. Wanna watch us practice?"

"Sounds great." Katie says as she follows them down the hallway. After spending so much time with her celebrity clients, she needs a break.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, practice is over. As James walks to his car, he finds himself being followed by a couple of paparazzi. He's too tired to deal with them right now, so he ignores them. He tries to avoid looking straight into the cameras because those flashes hurt his eyes. Really, those flashes almost blind him because they're so bright. That's why he stays silent and keeps his head down as he walks around the drivers side of the van. He waves goodbye to his friends before getting into the car. He fastens his seatbelt and pulls away from the curb. He probably shouldn't be driving when he's so tired, but his house isn't that far away. He'll be fine, but he's definitely going to take a nap when he gets home. he has a great time with his friends, but he hates feeling so exhausted when he comes home.<p>

Finally, he arrives at his neighborhood. He punches in the code and drives into the neighborhood as the gates open. When he gets to his house, he pulls into the driveway and gets out of the car. He yawns as he walks to the front door, pushing it open. He hears noise coming from the kitchen, so he knows that Brianne is probably fixing an afternoon snack. He would love to enjoy whatever she's making, but he's way too sleepy for that. So he walks over to the couch and lays down, closing his eyes. It doesn't take long for him to drift off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Brianne is making cheese and crackers in the kitchen. One after another, she puts cheese on square shaped crackers and puts them on a plate. Once she has finished doing that, she grabs a bottle of Coke and walks to the living room. She smiles when she sees James asleep on the couch. She wishes that Jack wouldn't work them so hard. Those poor guys need a week off. She understands that they have to prepare for those promotional performances that they'll be doing, but they really could use some time off. Everyone needs some time to rest.

She sits the food on the table and sits on the edge of the couch, touching James cheek. She kisses his nose and pats his arm, giving him a gentle kiss. She's going to let him sleep and she'll leave the food on the coffee table so he'll have a snack to enjoy when he wakes up. While he rests, she's going to go and check on the kids. They've been home for a few hours, but they've spent most of their time in their rooms.

She walks out of the living room and down the hallway. She finds all three kids sitting in the office, playing some life simulation game on the computer. It's the new game that Hadley got for Christmas. Brianne can't remember what it's called, but it's similar to the Sims games.

"Having fun?" She asks, leaning against the door frame.

"This game is awesome." Mason says. "I created me and Kayla! We're engaged right now."

"Honey, that''s bordering on creepy." Brianne says before turning around and returning to the living room. It is weird when you start creating a virtual version of yourself and your crush, right? Whatever! Brianne should probably be use to Mason's Kayla obsession by now. Him creating a virtual version of himself and Kayla isn't anything unusual. Since he hasn't gotten past the Just Friends stage, he living out his fantasies in a life simulation game. Maybe someone should play matchmaker and just get him and Kayla together. Well, he could've gotten out of the Just Friends stage on Saturday, but Brianne and James wanted him to spend time with Hadley. Brianne knows that she did the right thing by making him cancel his date. He'll have other chances to go on a date with Kayla. It didn't have to be Saturday night.

She sits back down on the couch and touches James face, pushing his bangs away from his face.

* * *

><p>"How's mom?" Kendall asks as he feeds Maddie her bottle.<p>

"She's fine." Katie says as she sits on the kitchen counter. She pushes her away from her face and gets down, walking over to Kendall. When she sees that he's done feeding Maddie, she takes baby Maddie into her arms. She coos to the baby girl, kissing Maddie's cheeks. "Hey, sweetie!"

"What's she up to?" Kendall asks his sister. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"She has mentioned buying a new house." Katie tells him, rocking Maddie in her arms. "She said that she wants to be closer to both of us."

"Cool." Kendall nods. "Hey, wanna watch TV?"

"Yeah." Katie says as they walk to the living room. They sit on the couch and Kendall turns the TV on, leaving it on Hot Tunes TV. The current video being played is none other than Katie's most rebellious client, Alaina Valentine's song "All About You." The video shows a pretty blonde girl in the middle of a dance club with back up dancers and neon colored flashing around the room. Although Kendall has to admit that the music is pretty good, he doesn't know how he feels about the singer. Katie has had some pretty insane clients, but this girl is supposedly one of the hardest to work with.

_"You know, I've gotta come up with a statement to release to the public." Katie tells her brother. "I don't even know what I'm gonna say."_

"Why don't you just drop the girl?" Kendall asks. "You wouldn't have to be responsible for cleaning up her messed if you did."

"I can't do that." Katie says. "Her parents love me. They would be disappointed if I gave up on their daughter. Yes, she's wild and a little on the mean side, but I can't drop my clients."

"Baby sister, you've changed a lot. You know that?" Kendall says with a laugh, ruffling her hair.

"I'm not ten years old anymore, Big brother." Katie tells him.

"You weren't a pushover when you were ten." Kendall reminds her. Keeping one arm around Maddie, Katie manages to punch Kendall in the arm.

"That's rude." She tells him.

"It's what brothers do."

**Songs:**

**All About You-Cosmic Blush**

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	16. Practice Makes Perfect

Camille watches as Kayla and Mason rehearse their duet, called You're My Only Shorty. Honestly, she's gonna have to get use to hearing them say "Shorty." It's cute, though. It's just that they don't normally use that word. But she really loves the song. It's a really sweet, adorable, and upbeat song. Camille loves the way Mason and Kayla kinda flirt with each other while they sing. They try to make it subtle, but they usually end up looking pretty obvious. She doesn't know why they don't just go out. They pretty much act like a couple (Minus the kissing), but they've never officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. Come to think of it, Camille and Logan were kinda like that. She would flirt with him, randomly go up to him and kiss him, then he finally asked her out. That was one of the best days of her life. The other two are her wedding and having Chris.

When Camille sees Mrs. Hartley standing in the doorway, she motions for the two teens to stop for a moment and turns the CD player off. She stands up and walks over to the older woman, giving her a friendly smile. She's really been on Camille about getting Allie ready for the talent show, so the woman is probably here to see how things are going. What if she wants Allie to perform for her? Camille doesn't know if she's ready to do that yet. She needs more time to prepare before performing in front of Mrs. Hartley. The woman can be tough and a bit critical, so Camille wants to be sure that Allie has perfected her performing skills.

"Can I help you?" She asks.

"I just wanted to check up on rehearsals." Mrs. Hartley says, sitting in the chair next to Camille's. She glances at Mason and Kayla, who are smiling nervously and waving at her. "What are these two doing?"

"Mason, Kayla, why don't you show Mrs. Hartley your song?" Camille suggests, sitting in her own chair. Mrs. Hartley gives another look in their direction, writing something on her clipboard. Camille tries to see what she's writing without seeming too obvious. When Mrs. Hartley looks at her, she quickly looks at Mason and Kayla.

"Yeah, let's do that." Mason whispers. He refuses to say this out loud (He doesn't want to seem unmanly, especially in front of Kayla), but Mrs. Hartley kinda scares him.

Allie shouldn't be using her cell phone right now, but she's texting her mom. Brianne knows that it was Mason and Kayla's turn to perform today, so she has been texting Allie to see how it's going. Allie has to make sure that the teachers don't see her because it's against the rules to use your phone while in class or at a rehearsal. Camille night not make such a big deal about it, but Mrs. Hartley is pretty adamant when it comes to the No Cell Phone rule. She always tells her students that unless it's a serious emergency, she better not catch them with their phones out. Allie really doesn't feel like getting reprimanded by Mrs. Hartley.

"No cell phones, remember?" Chandler whispers with a smirk. Allie rolls her eyes and texts "I've gotta go." before putting her phone in her purse. She gives Chandler a light shove and tries to focus on Mason and Kayla. She isn't going to let Chandler distract her from supporting her brother.

"Stop!" Mrs. Hartley says loudly. The music stops and everyone watches anxiously. Mrs. Hartley finishes writing something on her clipboard, then stands up. "That was...very impressive.

Everyone sighs in relief.

"But you both need to put a little more emotion into it." Mrs. Hartley adds. "It's a...flirty and fun song, so the performance could use a few more flirty gestures. A little hand holding or something like that. Overall, I liked it. It just needs a few small adjustments. Is that a problem?"

"No!" Kayla says quickly. "It's not a problem at all. Right, Mason?"

"Um, no?" Mason says, looking confused.

"Fantastic." Mrs. Hartley says dryly before walking out of the room.

Camille looks at her watch and sighs.  
>"Looks like we're out of time for today. Great job, everyone!" She says. "Remember that we have practice again on Friday!"<p>

Allie grabs her back pack and begins walking out of the studio. She walks down the hallway and heads toward her locker. She takes her books out of her back pack and puts them in her locker. She looks up and raises her eyebrows at Chandler, who is leaning against the locker next to Allie's.

"Hey, what does the inside of your locker look like?" He asks, removing the lock before she close it. He pulls the door open and gently pushes her aside. She throws her hands up in exasperation, wondering how he can be so invasive. At lunch, he likes to eat her food without asking. Now he wants to look through her locker? Not that she has anything to hide, but it's not cool to look through people's stuff. It's inappropriate! She's starting to wonder if he was raised by monkey's or his parents teach him any manners at all?

"Who's this?" Chandler asks, pointing a mini poster taped to the inside of the locker door.  
>"That's Alaina Valentine." Allie says calmly. "One of my dad's bandmates has a sister that is her publicist."<p>

"Dude, I love her!" Chandler says. "I know that she's a Disney girl, but she doesn't act like a Disney girl. I like that she has a little bit of an edge to her style, you know? People expect Disney starts to be these perfectly sweet and innocent role models, but this chick basically rebels against the whole Disney company. Plus, she's smoking hot."

"First of all, don't call me dude." Allie says with an amused smile. "Secondly, I personally feel that Disney stars should try to be good role models for their young fans. At least until they're done working with Disney. I think Alaina's trying to hard to get rid of her Disney image, but her music is really good. I have all three of her albums."

"Hey, would you want to get together after school tomorrow? I was thinking that we could go to my place and rehearse." Chandler says. Allie freezes for a moment. He's asking her to come to his house. This is going to sound so pathetic, but a guy has never asked her over to their house before.

"Um, sure." She says, still trying to comprehend his request. "That sounds great."

"Awesome." Chandler says, closing Allie's locker before walking towards the front double doors. Allie puts the lock on her locker door and slowly walks outside.

* * *

><p>Walter Samuels watches intensely as Brianne rehearses her new song "All Night Long" with her backup dancers. He wrote this song by himself and he's proud of it because it's classic Brianne Rocqye yet it's also a little different. He doesn't really know how to explain it. It has the fun R&amp;B sound like Brianne's older music yet it's more mature. He can't wait to make a music video for it. He just hopes that the media doesn't get all critical and start making accusations. The video won't be too wild or anything, so there shouldn't be any problem.<p>

"Cool song, Walter!"

The music producer looks up to see James entering the dance studio. James has helped Walter produce a few of Brianne's recent albums. He also worked on Brianne's EP when they were twenty years old and he actually did a pretty good job, So Walter agreed to let him help produce more albums. He understands the process more now than he did before, so Walter actually trusts him.

As Brianne sings another verse, she sends a flirty smile at James.

James smiles dreamily and sits next to Walter. He and the guys got out of their practice early today, so he decided to come here. He and Brianne decided to let Mason have his car keys back, so he can drive himself and his sisters back to the house. Brianne was telling James about the new song and since he hasn't actually heard it yet, he immediately came here after Jack finally let the guys go home for the day. So far, he's _really _enjoying this song. He's impressed with the dancing too. Brianne looks like she's putting a lot of energy into it. James just doesn't like how the male dancers are dancing with his wife. He just has to remind himself that it's just a song. James doesn't want to seem like the jealous type. Brianne didn't even choreograph the routine. Walter hired a professional choreographer to do it.

Riiiing!

James smiles awkwardly as the music stops and everyone stars at him. He peeks at his cell phone, seeing Dad flashing on the screen. He gives Brianne a wave and walks out of the studio. He presses the talk button and says "Hello?"

"Hey, it's your old man." Mr. Diamond says jokingly.

"Hey, dad." James says as he sits on the floor. He can hear his half sister Victoria talking in the background. He listens as Mr. Diamond whispers something to the sixteen year old before returning his attention to James. James remembers being really shocked when his stepmom, Amanda, announced her pregnancy, but he thinks that Victoria is a really cool girl. Since James is so much older than her, she doesn't bother trying to annoy him. In fact, they actually have a very friendly and civil relationship. No fighting, no violence, just friendly interaction.

"She's trying to work on a homework assignment for her science class." Mr. Diamond explains. "She doesn't understand it at all."

"She should get a tutor." James tells him.

"That's what we keep telling her." Mr. Diamond says. "Anyway, how are you doing? What about Brianne and the kids?"

"We're fine." James says, yawning. "I just got out of rehearsal, so I went to Starstruck Records so I could listen to Brie's new song."

"How is it?"

"It's cool." James grins.

"Can't wait until it's released to the public." Mr. Diamond says before whispering to someone else. "James, I've gotta go, but I'll call you later."

"Alright." James says. "Bye."

"Bye." Mr Diamond says before hanging up. James stands up and walks back into the dance studio. Brianne has gotten back to singing "All Night Long" and rehearsing the dance. James smiles at her as he sits back down. He watches as Walter stands up, motioning for someone to stop the track. The music stops and Walter nods in approval.

"We're going to stop here for today." He tells Brianne and the dancers. "You can all go home now."

Brianne grabs her grey zip up hoodie and puts it on, grabbing her gym bag and walking off the small stage. She walks over to James and kisses him, also giving him a hug. She sits on his lap and rests her head against his as he hugs her waist. Walter rolls his eyes as the display of affection, forcing both of them to stand up. He pushes them towards the door, telling them to go home and that he'll see Brianne tomorrow.

"How was your practice?" Brianne asks James, holding his hand.

"Good." James says, wrapping his arm around her. "We've got an interview and performance on Hot Tunes Late Show in a couple weeks."

"That sounds cool." Brianne says, hugging his waist. They walk out the front door and are blinded by the camera flashes combined with the bright sun. Brianne feels James tense up, so she just hugs him tighter. He doesn't get temperamental with the paparazzo, but he always gets a little tense.

They walk to the van and get in, buckling their seat belts. James puts the key in the ignition and drives away

* * *

><p>"Kids, we're home!" Brianne calls out as she and James walk into the house. She can hear the TV blaring in the living room, so she is easily able to figure out where they are. She looks at James and just as he is about to lean in for a kiss, she giggles and turns away from him. He rolls his eyes and follows her into the living room. Mason, Allie, and Hadley are all sitting on the floor, watching Hot Tunes TV. They are discussing the Alaina Valentine scandal and how her publicist, Katherine Knight, still hasn't released a statement yet. Professionally, Katie goes by her full name.<p>

"How was school and rehearsals?" James asks them.

"Me and Kayla worked on our duet." Mason says.

"Just know that only cool people should be saying shorty." Hadley teases, laughing when Mason nudges her leg with his foot.

"I think your dad and I will try to attend one of your rehearsals." Brianne tells them. "When is the next one?"

"Friday." The three teens say in unison.

"Are we doing anything on Friday?" Brianne asks her husband.

"I don't think so." James says, shaking his head.

"We'll try to stop by." Brianne tells her kids. She puts her purse on the dining table before James grabs her hand and begins leading her up the stairs. He kisses her hand as they walk into their bedroom, quietly closing the door. He crawls under the covers and closes his eyes, deciding that a nap would be really nice. He just needs someone to cuddle with him until he falls asleep. So he gives Brianne a tired look and lifts the covers up. He is satisfied when Brianne lays next to him, snuggling up to him. She kisses his cheek before resting her head on his chest.

Slowly, James drifts off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"<p>

Kendall and Jo were busy making out when a loud shriek startles them, causing both of them to fall off the bed. They quickly stand up, looking at each other with confusion. It sounds like Katie was screaming, but they don't know why she would be doing that. She has been a little on edge since the whole Alaina Valentine photo scandal started, especially since people are questioning why she hasn't released a public statement yet. When she and Jo were at the mall today, someone asked her about the scandal and why she hasn't made any public statements. You know what she did? She shrieked "I DON"T KNOW", went on a huge rant about people minding their own business, then forced Jo to take her home. She has been moping around ever since they got home. Kendall even made her a sandwich, since that usually cheers her up. It filled her up, but it obviously did nothing to lighten her mood.

"Should we do something?" Jo asks quietly.

"Mom? Dad? Why is Aunt Katie throwing a tantrum?" Donald asks, standing in the doorway. "Seriously, I think she's having a nervous breakdown."

"I'll see what's going on with her." Kendall says calmly, walking to the living room. Several sheets of crumpled up paper are scattered around the room and Katie is standing in the middle of the mess. Her hair is sticking up in every direction and she's madly clutching at it. She is holding a pencil in her right hand. Kendall gives Jo and Don a nervous look before making his way over to his sister. He needs to calm her down before she wakes Maddie and the whole neighborhood up.

"Katie, just put the pencil down." He says, carefully removing the pencil from her tight grip. "You need to sit down and relax."

"I'm trying to come up with a statement, but I don't know what to say." Katie says in a dazed voice. "How am I suppose to explain Alaina's stupidity?"

"Well, why don't you just say that she didn't know that the photo was being taken, but she has learned her lesson? She probably hasn't learned a thing, but this is Hollywood." Kendall says. "In Hollywood, people lie."

"I guess I could say that." Katie says as she grabs another sheet of paper. She writes her brother's suggested statement down and sighs with relief. Her hand goes to her hair and she cringes in disgust. "I'm gonna go and take a shower."

"You do that, baby sister." Kendall says, gently pushing her out of the living room. Once she is out of sigh, he sighs with relief. Trying to calm down a stressed out Katie is tiring. If people thought she was crazy when she was a sneaky ten year old, they should try dealing with her now that she's a busy and easily stressed thirty year old.

"Why is it always that one client that that causes her problems?" Jo asks her husband.

"Because the girl has mental problems." Kendall says. "Katie was showing me a video from some awards show after party and it was the most embarrassing thing that i've ever watched. I can't believe that people actually see her as a role model for her young fans. She may look innocent for the public eye, but behind closed doors, she's a monster. I don't know how Katie has dealt wit her for so long without completely losing her mind."

"How old is this Alaina girl?" Jo asks him as they sit on the couch.

"Just turned eighteen in December." Kendall whispers. "I felt so bad for Katie because Alaina put her in charge of planning the party. I think that's where the scandal pictures are from."

"Look, I've got homework to do, so I' m just gonna...Yeah, I'm gonna go to my room." Don says before rushing out of sight.

"Let's see what's on Hot Tunes TV." Kendall says as he turns the TV on.

"Okay, that's enough of that." He says says, turning the TV off. He doesn't feel like watching Katie's psycho client dance around in a club. "Wanna make some lemonade and sit by the pool?"

"Sure." Jo says as she and Kendall stand up. She takes his hand and they walk to their kitchen.

**Songs:**

**You're My Only Shorty-Demi Lovato and IYAZ**

**All Night Long-Demi Lovato**

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	17. Changed Opinions

Allie frowns as she looks at the old country style home. She can't believe that a guy actually invited her to their house. No one has ever done that before. She's the shy and unpopular girl at school that doesn't seem to belong at Hollywood Arts. That school is for really talented kids and Allie only got in by barely managing to successfully perform a monologue. Now she's at her incredibly cute talent show partner's house. She hopes that she doesn't screw this up. This may be her last chance to spend some one on one time with a good looking guy. Most of her days are spent on school, family, homework, and maybe a couple friends. Now she's at Chandler's house and they're going to sing together. Could this be her opportunity to become popular? If people see her hanging out with a incredibly hot and popular guy, will she be considered popular?

"Here we go." She says to herself, walking up to the front door. She rings the doorbell and anxiously waits for someone to open it for her. Soon enough, the door opens and she comes face to face with Chandler. He's wearing a pair of jeans, a red T shirt, and a grey hoodie. Wow, he looks hot. Wait, she shouldn't be thinking like that? She has only known the guy for a little more than a week, so she shouldn't be having thoughts like that. They are acquaintances and that's it. They are just partners for the talent show and nothing more, right? But he looks so hot right now. It's kinda hard to resist thinking like that because it's so true.

"It's about time you showed up." He says, opening the door for her. She sighs as she walks past him. He's so immature and sarcastic, yet so adorable at the same time. She doesn't know if she should be amused or annoyed by him. He confuses her sometimes, but she actually finds it to be kinda funny.

"We're here to practice, okay?" She says, putting her back pack down. She turns around and looks at him, frowning when he gives her a smirk. Does he do that to annoy her?

"I get that." Chandler says as he grabs her hand, leading her to the middle of the living room. He takes his hoodie off and Allie gulps, staring at his toned muscles. He shouldn't wear jackets so much. He looks really good without them. Okay, she's kinda scaring herself. She's not someone that falls all over a guy. Even if she dies crush on someone, she tries not to obsess over them. Well, if she can help it. That isn't the case in this situation. It's funny because she seems to start losing it as soon as she's alone with the guy. At least she had other people to distract her in rehearsal, but now she's actually alone with him.

"Hey, are we gonna practice or not?" Chandler asks, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Um, yeah." She says, walking to one side of the room. Chandler walks to the opposite side of the room and grabs the remote off the bar, turning to the music on.

**("Hit The Lights" by Selena Gomez)**

Chandler meets Allie in the middle of the floor. Suddenly, he picks her up and spins around, laughing as she screams. This isn't a part of the choreography. He just felt like doing it. It's fun when a girl like Allie gets mad.

"What was that?" She yells when he puts her down. She can't believe that he did that! She thought that they were going to have a successful practice without any messing around. Apparently, he doesn't know what it means to take things seriously. She just wants to practice the song and go home. If he insists on goofing off, she'll just go home.

"Look, you invited me here and I was hoping that you would take it seriously." She says as she starts to grab her back pack. She jumps when Mason quickly grabs her hand and forces her to turn around. She glares at him, but her expression softens when she sees his apologetic expression. Hmm, maybe he does have a brain after all.

"I'm sorry." He says. "I'll be serious."

"Thanks." Allie says as they both get back into position, ready to start over.

**An hour later**

After practicing for a while, Allie and Chandler are taking a break. They are sitting on the couch, eating the pizza bagels that Chandler's mom made. In the past ten minutes, Allie has learned that his mom is a nurse at Cedars Sinai. She's busy a lot, so she doesn't get to be home as much as Chandler would like. But she doesn't neglect him. He said that when she is home, she tries to make up for it. He's perfectly happy with that. His dad died in a car accident when he was fifteen. He doesn't have any siblings, which he seems to enjoy. He said that he doesn't know if he could take the constant arguing. Allie is learning all kinds of stuff about this boy. Now that she's getting to know him, he doesn't seem as annoying any more. He's actually very real or down to earth. He doesn't try to be fake and she really likes that about him.

"Alright, I want to know about you." He says, grabbing another pizza bagel off the plate. "Anything that I should know? Family, friends, embarrassing secrets..."

"Shut up." Allie smiles "Anyway, you know who my parents are. My dad is in Big Time Rush and my mom is also a pop star. I have a twin brother named Mason and a younger sister named Hadley, who is a sophomore. I was born and raised in LA. I went to Lincoln Elementary School, then auditioned for Hollywood Arts in sixth grade. I performed a monologue for the judges and they actually liked it. I was really surprised because I'm not really a performer. I'm just a nerdy girl that has terrible stage fright and spends more time doing homework that going to parties and hanging out with friends."

"Who are your friends?" Chandler asks her. "I don't really have a specific clique or anything."

"My friend Tara is a freshman. Except for my brother, I don't really have many friends my own age." Allie responds. "Anyway, you and Leighton were going to perform this song together. Did you ever talk to her outside of the whole talent show thing? Not that I really care or anything...Okay, maybe I am a little curious."

"Um, not too much." Chandler says. "Every once in a while, she would approach me, but we weren't real close."

"Oh." Allie says, nodding.

"Hey, wanna see something cool?" Chandler asks her.

"What?" Allie asks as they both stand up. She follows Chandler out of the living room and down the hallway until they reach a room. When they walk inside, she realizes that this is his room. There is a bed with its headboard facing the window, a dresser, and a desk across the room. The walls are white and pretty bare, except for a couple posters. One poster is black with a red guitar in the middle and silver musical notes surrounding it. The other poster is a race care in front of a grey background. Okay, now she knows that he likes guitars and race cars.

"Your room?" She asks with a confused smile.

"Look at the view." Chandler says, leading her over to the window. She sees some trees and flowers, then she notices the barbed wire fence separating the pasture from the backyard. In the pasture, there are a couple horses and some cows.

"Wow." She breathes out.

"There's a lake towards the back." Chandler tells her. "Wanna go and see it?"

"Um, okay." Allie says. Chandler reaches for her hand and leads her out of the room, walking towards the back door. They step outside and the warm breeze hits their faces. They walk over to a bright ride pick up truck and they both get in. Allie fastens her seatbelt and looks at Chandler, watching as he starts the car. He starts the car and drives up to the gate. He gets out and opens it up, then proceeds to get back into the truck and drive through the entrance. Once he has closed the gate back up, he begins driving across the pasture. This startles the horses and cows, who quickly run out of the way. As they drive farther along, a medium sized lake comes into view.

"Are there any snakes in there?" She asks worriedly.

"Just relax." Chandler says as he parks the truck.

Allie gets out of the truck and follows him toward the lake. They sit on the grass, not to far from the body of water. She hums quietly, unsure of what to say next. She should say something, but she doesn't want to say something really stupid or anything. She isn't about to embarrass herself in front of this guy.

"You're not a performer, huh?"

"What?" She questions, looking at him.

"You're not a performer?" Chandler repeats.

"Not even close." Allie says with a small laugh. "I freeze up when I have to be onstage. That's why I didn't even feel comfortable doing this talent show. I'm worried that I'll get up there and I'll forget the words or dances or trip and fall off the stage. PArt of me kinda knows that I'm being ridiculous, yet I feel like any of those things could happen."

"Stop worrying about it so much." Chandler tells her. "Just have fun with it. Don't worry about what people might think. If they have something to say about it, who cares? If you had fun, that's all that really matters. When I perform, I want to entertain people, but I'm not going to make myself sick with worrying about everyone's opinions, you know?"

"I guess you're right." Allie sighs. "I just don't understand how my parents are these super famous singers yet I have no talent at all.

"Hey," Chandler says, moving closer to her. "You have talent. You just need someone to help you improve. I've seen what you can do, Allie. You can sing, but you just need to work on your stage presence. Once you perfect that, you'll be a great performer. In fact, I want you to sing me something."

"Like what?" Allie laughs.

"Anything."

"Um, sure." Allie says slowly. "If the weapon is your love, I got my hands up. If you're gonna take me down, I surrender. I'll give you anything you want, just don't leave me alone. This is a hold up."

She stops singing, looking at Chandler.

"What song was that?" He asks her.

"It's one of my mom's songs." Allie tells him. "She hasn't recorded it yet."

"I like it." Chandler says, nodding in approval. "Well, your voice is good., now I want to show you some moves."

He helps her into a standing position.

"We'll start off with something easy." He says, wrapping one arm around her waist. "Put your hand on my shoulder."

Allie reluctantly obeys, looking into his green eyes. When he uses his free hand to hold hers, she gulps heavily. Well, they're getting a little intimate now, aren't they? Strangely enough, she really likes it.

"Just follow me." He tells her. As he steps to the left, she does the same. When he moves to the right, she also moves to the right. She imitates every move he makes, trying to keep from tripping and making a fool out of herself. They're having a good practice so far. Why embarrass herself?

"How am I doing?" She asks nervously.

"Great." Chandler says, spinning her around. When she stumbles, he catches her. She laughs as he spins her around once again. She thought he was annoying and immature, but she finds herself really having fun with him. He's a cool person to hang out with once she got to know him.

"Hey, be careful." He says. "We don't need any injuries."

"I know that." Allie says, playfully slapping his shoulder.

"Hey, let's go for a swim." Chandler says, glancing at the lake.

"I didn't bring a bathing suit."

"Who said that you need a bathing suit?" Chandler asks with a mischievous grin. Allie's eyes widen as he picks her up, carrying her out to the pier. "You can swim, right?"

"Yeah!, but don't..." Before she can say anymore, he tosses her into the water. She screams at the coldness of it, moving out of the way when Chandler jumps in. "Why?"

"It's hot out here." Chandler says as he takes his jacket off, reaching up to put it on the pier. Then he splashes Allie, laughing when she splashes him back. Before they know it, they are having a full on splash war. Their swim continues for the next twenty minutes, then they get out of the water. Allie shakes the water out of her hair and stretches, yawning loudly. She looks at her watch, her eyes widening when she sees that it's already six. She definitely needs to go home, but she wishes that she could stay with CHandler for a little longer. Of course, her parents would never allow that. They get worried when their kids stay out too late.

"I should be getting home." She tells him. "Think you could give me a ride?"

"Yeah." Chandler says. "But we should get dried off first."

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, Chandler is parking in front of Allie's house.<p>

"Thanks for taking me home." Allie tells him.

"No problem." Chandler says, shrugging.

Allie hesitates before kissing him on the cheek, then she gets out of the car and runs to the front door, leaving a surprised Chandler behind. She walks into the living room and jumps when she sees her whole family. She was suppose to be home fifteen minutes ago, so they've probably been worried sick.

"Gosh, how long did you stay at that guy's house?" Hadley says, yelping when Mason kicks her leg.

"We were just practicing." Allie explains. "Then we hung out for a little bit. I'm really sorry that I was late, though. I guess I let time get away from me."

"We'll let you off the hook this time." Brianne tells her. "But next time, you're gonna be grounded for a week."

"I understand." Allie nods, putting her back pack down.

"You should have called us." James tells her.

"I know." Allie nods.

"Okay." James says, kissing her forehead. "We were really worried about you, though."

"Why can't you ground her?" Hadley asks. "I get grounded all the time."

"Being late once and sneaking out on several occasions are two different things." Brianne tells her youngest daughter. "It's even worse if you're brought home by the police."

"That only happened once!" Hadley argues.

"Let it go, little sister." Mason says, ruffling her hair.

Hadley crosses her arms and pouts while everyone else leaves the room.

While James and Brianne walk to the kitchen, Allie and Mason walk to their room.

"What did you and Chandler do?" Mason asks, sitting on his bed.

"We practiced for an hour, then we went out to the lake at the back of the pasture." Allie tells him. Memories of her adventure with Chandler come flooding back. Dancing, talking, laughing, and just having fun together. For the first time, she wasn't annoyed by him. In fact, she likes being with him. He's so sweet and caring.

"A lake?" Mason asks with a smile. "Why do your hair and clothes look like they've been wet?"

Allie touches her slightly wet hair. She and Chandler spent about ten minutes, trying to dry off. Allie didn't want her family asking questions, so she tried to dry off as much as possible. Chandler let her use his blow dryer, but she didn't dry it very thoroughly. That's why it still looks a little wet, but it isn't super noticeable.

"We went for a swim?" She says quietly.

"Ah." Mason chuckles.

"All we did was swim!" Allie says, giving him a light shove. "We didn't make out or anything."

"Sure you didn't." Mason laughs as he stands up.

"We didn't!" Allie argues.

"Right." Mason says before walking out of the room.

Allie whines as she buries her face in the pillow.

* * *

><p>"Who is this Chandler guy?" Brianne asks as she crawls under the covers, laying next to James. She was really worried when Allie came home late. In fact, she was almost tempted to call the police and send a search party to find her daughter, but then she decided to give Allie a little more time. She was so relieved when her daughter finally came home. She trusts Allie and knows that she wouldn't be irresponsible, but she usually doesn't stay out very late. She doesn't even go to other people's houses very often, unless it's a family friend.<p>

"Brie, she's singing a duet with him, remember?" James asks, kissing her hand.

"I know." Brianne says, looking at her husband. "I guess I'm just being paranoid."

"Let's not worry too much." James whispers, hugging her tightly. "I'm sure he's a good kid."

"We don't even know his family." Brianne says, resting her head on his chest.

James smiles as he plays with her hair. She's overprotective when it comes to their kids. She isn't super strict or anything, but she freaks out if they stay out too late. He doesn't know how she has dealt with Hadley all these years without going crazy. She stays out late even when James and Brianne give her a specific curfew. Hadley just likes to test their limits. On the bright side, she certainly keeps them busy. They're never bored with Hadley around. Between working on their music and raising their family, there's never a dull moment in the Diamond household.

"Hey, let's just go to sleep." He chuckles, kissing her forehead.

"Not until you sing to me first." Brianne says, kissing him passionately.

"Okay." James grins before he starts singing to her.

As soon as she falls asleep, he stops singing and kisses the top of her head. Slowly, he falls into a deep sleep.

**Songs: **

**Hit The Lights-Selena Gomez and The Scene**

**Hold Up-Demi Lovato**

**Shot In The Dark-Big Time Rush**

* * *

><p><strong>I bought Demi Lovato's new album yesterday! :D<strong>

**Anyway, please review! :)**


	18. A Parent's Love

_"Two weeks" _Hilary thinks to herself. Two weeks since the accident that changed her daughter's life. Two weeks since her daughter stopped talking. It's been too long for Hilary to go without hearing her daughter talk, sing, or even argue with her mother. Leighton just goes to her therapy sessions, then she stays in her room, writing in her diary, her songwriting notebook, or her notepad. She doesn't give her cheerful smiles anymore. When she does smile, it's usually tired and weak while her eyes are filled with sadness and pain. Fourteen year old girls should not be going through this. Leighton should be back in LA, having fun with her friends and practicing for that talent show. It's not that Hilary doesn't trust that Allie will do well, but she wanted nothing more than for her little girl to be able to finish what she started. Before the auditions, she was already working on her songs since she was certain that she would be chosen to perform. Most people would say that she was being a little too confident, but Hilary really believed in her. Hilary knew that she would be chosen to perform.

As she is walking by the music room, she hears sad piano music and a soft voice singing. The voice sounds familiar and Hilary can feel her eyes filling with tears. She leans against the door and listens closely, knowing who she's hearing It's Leighton. Her baby girl is finally singing again.

_Hilary hesitates before pushing the door open, entering the quite room. She walks around the corner and sees Hilary sitting in her wheelchair at the piano, writing something on a music sheet. The injured teen presses the keys, humming softly. Not wanting to interrupt her yet, Hilary hides behind the wall. She watches as Leighton sings quietly. She looks tired yet relaxed. That's no surprise, though/ Music has always been like therapy to her. If she was ever frustrated or sad, she would retreat to her room and sing or write a song. In public, she usually sings these upbeat bubblegum pop music, but it's different when she's not performing for a crowd. She can actually write pretty heavy and emotional stuff. From what Hilary's guessing, this is one of songs. It sounds beautiful but heart wrenching._

Finally, Hilary finds the courage to approach Leighton. She walks over to her daughter and smiles weakly. Leighton slowly looks up, quickly grabbing the music sheet and putting it in her purple folder. She holds it close to her as if she's protecting it. She looks up at her mom with reddened cheeks. Why would she be embarrassed? Leighton doesn't get embarrassed when people hear her sing. Well, that's how it use to be. Now she's completely screwed up emotionally, so she's not the same person that she was before the accident. She always seems afraid and nervous when anyone except her mom tries to interact with her. She use to be a real people person.

"I see you still have that voice." Hilary says, grabbing a chair and sitting down. "Wanna some more of that song? Mama would love to hear it."

Leighton grabs her notepad and writes something down.

_Not right now_

"Ugh, so close." Hilary mutters under her breath.

Well, Leighton sang. She still won't talk or sing in front of other people, but she took the first step. Using her voice at all is a pretty big improvement.

* * *

><p>"That one is too cute." Brianne tells James, pointing to a picture in their family scrapbook. The photo shows James in a hospital room, sitting in a chair and holding a newborn Hadley.<p>

James smiles softly. He was so happy that day. Even though he had to deal with Brianne's mood swings and cravings again for nine months, he was overjoyed when she finally gave birth to their third child. He was even more excited that it was a baby girl. He would have been thrilled if it had been a boy, but he was excited that they had another baby girl. For this pregnancy, they decided to let it be a surprise. When Brianne was expecting Allie and Mason, they went ahead and found out the gender of the baby. They wanted it to be a surprise this time. Sitting in that chair, holding his second daughter, made him so happy. He remembers their friends and family being there and everyone wanting to hold baby Hadley. After he and Brianne held her, they handed her over to Kendall. Even as a newborn, she loved her daddy's bandmates. After a while, she started smiling and laughing, which made her even more fun to play with. James remembers how he would sit with her and try to make her laugh. He's just glad that Allie and Mason never showed any signs of jealousy. They were excited to have a baby sister.

"Remember when she was about...seven months old?" He asks his wife. "She threw her bottle at Carlos and started laughing?"

"Hey, he had his helmet on." Brianne laughs.

"She was a lot different than Allie was at seven months." James chuckles, turning the page. He grins at the picture of him and Allie. She was almost three and she had been sick that day. James was sitting on the couch with her on his lap, hugging her and trying to comfort her. In the picture, he is smiling at the camera while holding a sleeping Allie. Next to this picture is one of him and Mason. The little boy was almost three too. He is holding a kiddie size hockey stick in his hand while James kneels by him. James was wearing his old hockey jersey while Mason was wearing a jersey that his dad bought for him.

"Awww." Brianne coos. "My two favorite guys in the whole world."

She looks up and sees James blushing slightly. She chokes on her laughter and gently kisses his cheek. She loves that she has that effect on him. She hopes that Allie and Hadley will find good guys just like their dad. As for Mason, he needs to find a really great girl When any of the kids get married, their significant other should be someone that respects them and cares about them. That's why Brianne hopes that Hadley will get tired of these "bad boys" that she has dated in the past. Bad boys do not make good husbands. All of the bad boys that Brianne has met are all tough and seem so angry all the time. That's why they wouldn't be the best husbands.

"Hey, what do you want to do now?" She asks James.

"Let's go to the talent show rehearsal." James says as he closes the scrapbook. He and Brianne stand up and walk out of the bedroom. It's Saturday, but Mrs. Hartley announced yesterday that she wants to have a rehearsal today. No one was too thrilled about that, but no one says no to Mrs. Hartley. She's a big part of the Hollywood Arts drama department and has a lot of say in the practice schedules and whatnot. She makes a lot of important decisions regarding plays and other performances. Anyone that says no to her is just plain crazy.

**Twenty minutes later **

James holds Brianne's hand as they approach the Hollywood Arts dance studio. They peek into the room and see Camille standing in front of the seniors, talking to them. James frowns when he sees Chandler whispers something to Allie, who smiles and gives him a playfully shove. James becomes even worried when Chandler wraps his arm around Allie's shoulders, giving her a squeeze. They're not dating, are they? If Allie gets a boyfriend, she'll forget about James. He doesn't want her to forget about him. She's his baby girl. he can't stand the thought of losing his baby girl. When she was little, James was the one that sang to her and read her bedtime stories. He played with her, helped her with homework, and did everything that daddy's are suppose to do. He doesn't know if he's ready to see her grow up yet. He can barely stand the thought of her going off to college. _Please, Allie, go to UCLA._

"Jay, come on." Brianne says, pushing the door open.

"You gotta..." Camille starts to say, stopping when James and Brianne enter the room. A few people whisper in excitement, but Morgan just looks at Hadley and rolls her eyes. Hadley gives the girl a smirk and crosses her arms.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Camille asks them.

"We just wanted to stop by." Brianne says, smiling at the students.

"I can see where you got your good looks." Chandler whispers to Allie.

Allie blushes and giggles quietly. Chandler has been subtly flirting with her throughout practice and she is loving it. Her favorite gesture is the occasional hugs that he gives her. They aren't intimate hugs, just playful and friendly ones, but it's still nice. Since going over to his house, she has found herself liking him more and more. She actually looks forward to seeing him at school and hanging out with him whenever she can. He even sat with her at lunch today. They just talked and ate, laughing at really stupid and random stuff. She's hoping that they'll get together outside of school again. She really enjoyed their one on one practice.

She loos at her dad, who looks at her with one eyebrow raised. He probably doesn't like to see Chandler acting all flirty with her. She knows how protective he is. It can be a bit annoying, but she loves her dad. She just wishes that he would lighten up a little bit. SHe's going to be a high school graduate soon and he'll have to let her grow up.

"What are you guys working on?" James asks, taking his attention away from Allie and Chandler.

"They were just practicing the senior musical number." Camille explains.

"Cool." Brianne says while rubbing James shoulder.

"Alright, you guys can take a seat." Camille tells her students. "But Allie and Chandler, I want you to stay where you are. We're gonna work on your duet."

James refrains from rolling his eyes. He doesn't want to come across as cranky and rude. He just doesn't want to see Chandler spinning his daughter around and singing to her. For some reason, James just can't stand the thought of Chandler dating Allie. She can have a boyfriend when she's twenty five.

Allie nervously looks at Chandler, who whispers to her and gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze. They get into position and wait for Camille to start the music.

James feels Brianne rubbing his shoulders, trying to relax him. He has told her his feelings about Allie and CHandler, but she always tells him to calm down. How can he calm down when that guy is going to be singing and dancing onstage with his little girl? James has a feeling that this guy is going to ruin her. She's so sweet and innocent right now, but once she and Chandler decide to get together, that innocence will go away. James wants to have at least one normal child in his household. Hadley is a wild child and Mason is obsessed with their next door neighbor's daughter, yet Allie is nice and well behaved. When Brianne was nineteen,, she landed herself in the funny farm! Well, it was rehab, but she went there because she was having some...issues that need to be dealt with. She wasn't completely right in the head, so she needed to get help. James doesn't want Allie to end up like that.

"Jay, are you okay?" Brianne whispers.

"Uh huh." James says, his voice squeaking. He lets his head fall back against Brianne's stomach, trying to focus on her shoulder rub.

He gulps when Chandler grabs Allie's hand and she does a little jump/spin type thing where Chandler is suppose to catch her, but ends up tripping and falling back against him. The music stops and Allie whispers something to Chandler, who quietly responds to her.

"We'll work on that part later." Camille says, giving her a reassuring smile.

James smiles in satisfaction as Chandler and Allie walk off the dance floor, but his smile fades when the teens sit right next to each other. Oh my gosh, he's gonna end up going crazy if he has to keep watching this.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the restroom." He whispers to Brianne,. He waves at the students and kisses Brianne's cheek before rushing out of the room. He walks to the entrance and turns left to enter the restroom. He walks over to a sink and turns the faucet on, splashing some water on his face. Why? Why does Allie have to start being interested in a guy now? And out of all guys, why did it have to be Chandler? James and Brianne don't know his family or where he came from. They don;'t know what kind of person he really is, so James doesn't know why they should trust him.

Maybe he's just over thinking. Maybe he should just sit back, relax, take a few deep breaths, and watch some hockey. Surely Allie isn't interested in that guy.

He splashes more water on his face and dries it off before turning around and exiting the restroom. When he steps back out into the hallway, he bumps into Brianne. She looks concerned and confused by his strange behavior. He gives her a nervous smile before leaning in for a kiss. Just as his nose touches her, she puts her hands on his face and forces his to look at her. He sighs softly and puts his right hand over hers. He doesn't really her to know that he's jealous of their daughter's new guy friend,. He doesn't want to admit that he's actually jealous of someone.

"Alright, what's going on?" She asks him.

"What?" He asks with a laugh.

"Jay, you started acting weird as soon as we stepped into that studio." Brianne says, stroking his cheeks. James sighs as he grabs her hand, leading her over to some stairs. They sit down and he wraps his arms around her. He kisses her cheek lovingly before burying his face in her shoulder.

"I'm okay." He lies.

"No, you're not." Brianne says, kissing him. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"Fine." James mutters. "I just feel weird when I see Allie and that Chandler kid together."

"Jay, he's her partner!" Brianne says, rubbing his knee.

"I think they like each other!" James whispers weakly.

"You're just being overprotective." Brianne says, moving to sit on his lap. "Honey, I think Chandler seems like a good kid. If it'll make you feel better, maybe Allie could bring him over sometime. He really does seem like a nice boy, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"What if he's like Wayne Wayne?" James asks her. "What if he marries Allie, gets her pregnant, and abandons her? Wayne Wayne did that to Hilary and it could happen to Allie. I don't want anyone doing that to our baby girl!"

"I'm pretty sure Chandler is nothing like Wayne Wayne." Brianne says, playing with his hair. "Stop worrying so much."

"I'm sorry." James whispers, burying his face in the crook of her neck."

Brianne smiles softly and kisses the top of his head. She actually loves how protective he is. It reminds her of how much he cares for his family. He could loosen up a little bit, but Brianne doesn't want him to completely lose his protective nature. It's one of her favorite qualities about him.

"Let's go back to the studio." James tells her.

"Yeah." Brianne smiles, grabbing his hand. "Let's go."

They walk hand in hand back to the studio, talking and laughing quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	19. Overprotected

Yesterday was a long day. James was forced to sit in that studio, watching some guy dance with his daughter. He was so tempted to tell that Chandler to get his hands off of James daughter, but Brianne was sure to restrain him. She kept rubbing his shoulders (He cannot resist that) and every time he tried to stand up, she would gently push him back down. He was so relieved when they got out of there. It's no fun for James to sit around and watch Allie being so friendly with some guy that she just met. Brianne insists that they're just friends, but James has feeling that it's not gong to last long. Next thing they know,, Chandler and Allie will be taking long walks on the beach and making out by the lake at the Palm Woods park. That place is still in business, so it wouldn't be impossible for them to do that. The thought seriously freaks James out. He could intimidate Chandler into leaving Allie alone, but he's thirty six years old and he knows that he should be more mature than that. Sabotaging a relationship is something that really immature teenagers would do. James is a grown man. He has more dignity than that.

Ugh, it's only eight thirty in the morning and he's already got a headache. That's just great. He'll just ask Brianne to get him some aspirin when she wakes up. That's the funny part. James thought that cuddling up with his wife would comfort him, but he's too distracted by thoughts of Allie and Chandler. The thought of his little girl and that guy together nauseates him. He's praying that she won't come home one day and say "Daddy, Chandler and I eloped last night!" He would do bad things to Chandler if that ever happened. Yeah, James Diamond has a bad side. No one wants to get on his bad side. Why? Because his bad side isn't pretty.

He groans as he plays with Brianne's blonde hair, running his fingers through it. He wishes that she was awake so she could hold his hand and reassure him that nothing is going on. He's a protective husband and father. Isn't that normal? Aren't men suppose to be protective of their wife and kids. When he was sixteen, he never even saw himself with a family, yet here he is. He and Brianne were too young to get married. They rushed into it. James knows that, but he doesn't regret it. When Brianne told him that she was pregnant, they were only eighteen. Deep down, James was terrified. He wasn't sure if he could handle being a father. He wasn't sure if he would be able to give Brianne and their baby the life that they deserve. But he forgot about himself and supported Brianne through her pregnancy. SHe was the one that had to deal with the morning sickness, weird cravings, mood swings, and swollen feet. She had to deal with that stuff for nine months until Allie and Mason were born. When James held his children for the first time, he felt nothing but love for the tiny human beings. He remembers sitting in that hospital room, holding them and thinking "Wow, I'm a dad now." For the past nine months, he was worried that he wouldn't be a good father. While Brianne was in the hospital, everyone told James how could he was with the kids. That's when he realized that everything would be okay.

He sighs and grabs Brianne's hand, kissing it gently. Suddenly, the hand moves to his cheek. He looks at Brianne and smiles softly, kissing his forehead. He loves having her in his life. She's his wife and the mother of his kids. She gave him Allie, Mason, and Hadley. When he's upset about something, she sits with him, holds his hand, hugs and kisses him, and talks to him. When the kids aren't home and they aren't working, they like spending time together. Even after nineteen years, she's still his girl. He still teases her and tickles her just too annoy her. They may be in their late thirties, but they act like teenagers sometime.

"Good morning, handsome." She says, kissing him softly.

"Hey." He says tiredly, closing his eyes. He groans when Brianne straddles his waist, kissing him again. He slowly opens his eyes and cups her cheek with his hand. He smiles softly and sits up, wrapping one arm around her waist. He rests his forehead against hers, sighing quietly. He sees hint of concern in her eyes, so he knows that he must look a bit upset. When she plays with his hair and kisses his cheek, he knows for sure. She always does that when she sees that something is bothering him,. He use to be so good at hiding emotions. What happened to him?

"What's wrong with you?" She asks, running her fingers through his brown strands.

"Allie and that guy." James mutters, laying back down. Brianne sighs as she lays next to him, gently patting his arm. With one hand on his chest, she kisses his cheek. James sighs softly, looking at his wife. He hopes that she can provide some kind of comfort and reassurance to him.

"Jay, he's her_ partner._" She says, forcing him to look at her. "They're not dating, okay?"

"What if they start dating?" James asks her.

"I probably won't have a problem with it."

"What?" James whispers angrily.

"Shhhh." Brianne whispers, stroking his face. She kisses him passionately, smiling when he starts to relax.

James pulls away when he hears the door opening. One of the kids must have gotten up early. But who would be coming to their house so early in the morning? Most people would be sitting at home, eating breakfast and watching cartoons, wouldn't they? Well, that's what he and the guys use to do on weekend mornings.

He listens to the voices and his eyes slowly widen with horror. Brianne must know the voice too because she's affectionally rubbing James back. He gulps before standing up and running out of the room. He walks down the stairs and into the living room, wanting to see who their "visitor" is. He hides behind the wall and peeks into the hallway. Chandler is standing in the doorway, talking to Allie. Oh my gosh, that jerk is in their house? Why? What is he doing here? James wants him to go home and find some other girl to mess with. James doesn't trust this guy at all. He looks nice, but James was a teenage guy once. He knows how they think and he doesn't like it at all. He's probably a total player. James knows a player when he sees one. The skinny jeans, T shirt, leather jacket, and the good looks. This guy is like James in his younger years. James use to date around a lot, but he stopped that once he and Brianne started dating. He may have seen a few girls and thought they were attractive, but he never cheated on his wife. Believe it or not, he's not that kind of guy.

"Jay, you're being..."

"Shhh!" He whispers, motioning for Brianne to be quiet.

"So you just randomly come to people's houses at eight forty in the morning?" Allie asks Chandler.

"Hey, I was bored." Chandler says, entering the house. Allie rolls her eyes as she shuts the door.

"Don't you think you should have called first?" She asks him.

"He's not that polite." James mutters, stifling a yelp when Brianne slaps his arm.

"No thanks." Chandler says in response to Allie's question. "

"I'm not even going to respond to that." Allie says as they walk to the kitchen. James grabs Brianne's hand and leads her over to the bar. Making sure to stay unnoticed, they peek over the bar. They watch as Allie pours some tea into a glass, handing it to Chandler. James lets out a whiny whimper and Brianne slaps her hand over his mouth, making sure that he can't make anymore noise.

"He's drinking our tea." James complains.

"Be quiet." Brianne whispers.

"Who made this?" Chandler asks, sipping the tea.

"My mom." Allie says, drinking her own tea.

"It's good."

Brianne giggles at the compliment, shutting up when James glares at her.

"You should try our smoothies." Allie says as she grabs some ingredients. "Like the Wild Berry."

"Okay!" James finally says, walking into the kitchen. "Allie, we don't need to be sharing our food. It's unsanitary!"

"Dad!" Allie says in shock.

"Mr. Diamond, I just stopped by to say hi." Chandler says nervously. James gives him a fake smile, pushing the boy towards the front door. He opens the door and forces Chandler outside, closing the door and locking it. He turns around to face Allie, who is crossing her arms and glaring at him. He tries to not let it bother him. He's the man of the house and it's his job to protect his girls, whether they like it or not. He's doing this for her own good. He isn't going to let some guy take his baby girl away from him. It's not going to happen until he says it's okay.

He smiles, but it fades when Allie storms to her room and slams the door shut. He looks at Brianne, who is looking at him with a stern expression.

"Um, I think I'll go and visit with Carlos for a while." He laughs nervously, grabbing his grey hoodie. He slips it over his head and grabs his car keys, kissing his wife before rushing out the door. He walks to the van and gets into the drivers seat. He puts the key in the ignition and pulls out of the driveway. He's still wearing his pajamas, but he doesn't care. He needs a break from the moody women in his house.

* * *

><p>James walks to the front porch of Carlos and Jessica's red brick home. He knocks on the door, hoping that someone will answer. He sighs in relief when the door opens. Jessica stands in the doorway, wearing grey sweatpants and a black tank top. Her dark brown hair is pulled into a messy low bun and she looks like she's half asleep. Without acknowledging James, she steps aside. Giving her a strange look, James walks past her.<p>

"Where's Carlos?" He asks.

"He's playing basketball in the back." Jessica says tiredly, laying on the couch.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks his friend's wife.

"It's too early." Jessica says. "Now please go away so I can sleep."

"Fine." James says, walking towards the back door. As he steps onto the patio, he sees Carlos and Tara shooting baskets. He chokes on his laughter as Tara almost trips.

"Mind if I join you?" He calls out.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Carlos asks him.

"I ticked Allie off, so I thought it would be best if I left the house for a couple hours. You know, I think she needs time to cool down."

"What did you do?" Tara asks him.

"That guy Chandler decided to stop by and I made him leave. I may have embarrassed Allie a little bit, but i felt uncomfortable having her dance partner in our house. She was about to share our Wild Berry smoothie recipe with him! That's a family recipe and we don't share it with anyone else except each other and our friends. She already let him try her mom's tea and I think that's enough. But she's mad at me now, so I'm gonna let her calm down before I set foot in that house again. Women can be dangerous, so I'm going to stay in hiding for now."

"Dude, Allie is a seventeen year old girl." Carlos says, tossing a basketball at him. "What could she possibly do to you?"

"She's scary when she's mad." James tells him.

"James, you're the parent, not her." Carlos tells him. "Isn't that right, Tara?"

"Yep." Tara says, not really listening. She's too focused on trying to get the ball into the hoop. She tosses it at the basketball and it bounces off, hitting her in the face and knocking her down.

"Tara!" Carlos yells, rushing to help her up. "Are you okay? Where did it hit you?"

"Dude, it hit her in the face!"" James says, amazed at how oblivious his friend can be. He thought that Carlos would stop that once he got older, but he's only matured slightly. He doesn't wear his helmet all the time and he's a great husband and father, but he's still not the smartest guy out there. Sometimes someone will be having a conversation and he'll say something completely random. Then there are really oblivious moments like the one that he just had.

"Hey, I'm okay." Tara says, rubbing her face. "Ow."

"Hey, ask your mom to get you an ice pack." Carlos tells her, pushing her towards the back door.

Once she is gone, Carlos slowly turns around.

"So...How's your family?"

"Great." James says, giving him a confused look.

* * *

><p>Brianne rubs her temples as she approaches the door to Allie and Mason's room. She slowly opens it and finds that Mason is still fast sleep, while Allie is sitting on her bed and pouting. Brianne is amazed that Mason is such a heavy sleep. She thought that the door slamming would have woken him up. If she weren't already awake, it certainly would have woken her up. Anyway, she knows that James had good intentions when he made Chandler leave, but he did act a bit crazy. In fact, he acted a little too crazy. Brianne thinks that they should just trust that Chandler is a good guy. He doesn't seem like a bad kid. Brianne is actually glad that Allie has found a friend her own age, even if it is a guy. As long as he's going to be a good friend to her. Brianne's children deserve love and respect from their friends.<p>

"Your dad meant well." She says, sitting next to Allie.

"He totally embarrassed me." Allie says. "It's not like I 'm going out with Chandler behind his back. We're not even dating! He's just a friend. No matter what daddy thinks, Chandler is a really nice guy. He may be a little immature at times, but I think he's really cool. He's not a bad guy, mom. He listens to me and makes me laugh."

"I know he's not a bad guy, honey." Brianne tells her. "Your dad is just overprotective. When Auntie Katie tried to hang out with this boy when she was younger, James went crazy. He did everything to stop them from having any kind of romantic interaction. When he cares about someone, he wants to protect them. He doesn't want to see his loved ones get hurt. You're his first daughter and I think he's afraid of seeing you grow up. If you were to get a boyfriend, he would feel like he lost his little girl. He loves you, honey. If I were you, I would try to understand that. And I also think he wants to protect you from making the decisions that he and I made when we were younger. We were engaged at seventeen, married at eighteen, I was got pregnant at eighteen, and I had you shortly after a turned nineteen. Yes, we've made it work but it was hard for us to raise a family when were practically kids ourselves. He also had to watch me battle an alcohol addiction. Those are the reasons that he's so protective of you. Your dad and I love each other, but we went through a lot. Being married teen parents wasn't easy for us."

Allie's expression softens at the story. She feels really bad for being angry at her dad now. He only wants what's best for her. She just wishes that he would lighten up a little. Chandler is a really nice guy and he would never hurt her. They just met and they won't be getting married or having kids any time soon.

"I'm going to apologize when he gets home." She says.

"That's my girl." Brianne says, kissing the top of her head.

She smiles as she walks to Mason's bed, kissing his forehead before walking out of the room. She smiles in satisfaction as she sits on the couch, turning the T V on.

* * *

><p>When James enters his house two hours after the morning incident, he is surprised when Allie runs up to him and wraps her arms around his waist. He looks at Brianne with confusion, hugging Allie close to him. He shrugs and kisses the top of her head, rubbing her back.<p>

"I'm sorry, daddy." She says, hugging him.

"i didn't mean to embarrass you, baby girl." James whispers, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"From what I heard, you chased off a total hottie." Hadley says from the living room. Brianne rolls her eyes and walks to the living room. Hadley protests as Brianne shushes her, but she obeys. James smiles and kisses Allie's forehead, happy that his little girl isn't mad at him anymore. He's happy that she has a new friend, but he doesn't want her to grow up before she's old enough. Even though it worked out for James and Brianne, they went through some rough patches. When they were twenty, they almost got a divorce! James wants to make sure that Allie is old enough before she decides to get married and have kids.

"I know you just want what's best for me." Allie says, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm not gonna stop you from spending time with this guy, but I want you to be careful, okay?" James tells her, kissing her forehead.

"He's really nice." Allie tells her dad.

"I'm sure he is." James says through a smile. He still feels apprehensive about the whole thing, but he'll try to trust Allie. However, if Chandler does anything to hurt his baby girl, he's going to pound that boy into a pulp. Is it wrong for a thirty six year old man to beat up a seventeen year old guy? Maybe so. But James isn't afraid to do it if he finds it necessary.

"I never got to make my smoothie." Allie says, crossing her arms.

"Make me one!" Mason calls out.

"Okay!" Allie responds. She walks to the kitchen and grabs the ingredients off the island. She puts the right amount of each ingredient in the blender before mixing it all up. Once it is completely blended together, she pours some of the liquid into a glass. She takes a sip and nods n satisfaction, then pours a glass for Mason. When her brother walks into the kitchen, she hands it to him. Once she is done with this smoothie, she's going to text Chandler and apologize for her dad's behavior. He should know how James can be sometimes. She wants to make sure that he's fully warned.

After the glass is completely empty, she puts it in the sink. Then she takes her cell phone off the bar and begins typing the text message.

_To: Chandler_

_From: Allie_

_Hey, I'm sorry about my dad. He's a little overprotective. He calmed down, though. I'm just warning you before you decide to show up at our house again. Just be prepared for some weird stares and sarcasm from him._

She presses send. Almost five minutes later, she gets a response.

_ To: Allie_

_From: Chandler_

_Hey, it's cool:) Every dad wants to protect his little girl._

Allie smiles dreamily and puts her cell phone back down. She looks at Mason, frowning when she sees the knowing smile on his face. She knows what he's thinking. She rolls her eyes and gives him a playfully shove before walking past him. Why does everyone seem to think that she and Mason are dating? Her family already thinks that. On Friday, Morgan kept giving her and Chandler weird looks at lunch. They were just walking! It's like she can't have a guy friend without people questioning it. When she and Chandler meet by her locker after school, people act all weird about. Even Tara and Donald are asking her about him.

"Hey, they're premiering the new Alaina Valentine music video!" Hadley yells.

"Yay!" Allie says happily, rushing to get a look at her favorite singer's video.

"Why do I feel like this song is directed at Disney?" Hadley asks, watching the blonde girl on the TV. The pop star, wearing a low cut black tank top with ripped jeans and a leather jacket, just walked into a nightclub and started making out with some guy. Disney will definitely throw a fit when they see this. Mason is drooling as Alaina walks to the stage and starts singing and playing guitar for the partygoers. This girl has basically went from being the cute Disney star to the anti Disney girl. The smoky eye makeup, the dark and edgy clothes, her recent bad behavior, it's all an attempt to break free from the goody goody Disney image that she's forced to portray.

"She's almost as hot as Kayla." Mason says in amazement.

"I'll feel so bad that Katie is stuck being her publicist." Brianne says, staring at the screen. She doesn't know how parents can let their young kids look up to this. Alaina Valentine is starting to go down the Miley Cyrus route. Not that Miley isn't cool, but she started breaking away from Disney went she was about eighteen and people weren't too happy about it. Of course, Brianne thinks that Alaina is worse.

"Her style reminds me of a combination of Amy Lee and Avril Lavigne." James says, looking at the screen.

"Who are they?" Hadley asks.

"Amy Lee is from a band called Evanescence and Avril Lavigne was also a singer." Brianne tells her. "They were real popular when your dad and I were teenagers."

"Shhh!" Mason says, looking at the screen.

"Ah, Disney stars gone wrong." James sighs, wrapping his arm around Brianne's waist. "Aren't they just so fun to watch?"

"Wait till Hadley starts doing this in a couple years." Mason jokes. He stops when James gives him an annoyed look.

James doesn't even want to think about the possibility of his daughters going off the deep end.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	20. An Ordinary Day

"Alright, pup, you are going to learn how to get over your stage fright." Gustavo says, pacing in front of Allie. Her parents took her to Rocque Records so Gustavo could help her overcome her fear of performing, but she isn't feeling too great about it. What if the training doesn't work and she makes a completely fool out of herself? That would be so embarrassing. It would be especially humiliating if she screwed up in front of Chandler. Lately, she finds herself trying to look as not awkward as possible, so Chandler won't think that she's a socially awkward weirdo. He's one of the cool guys, so it's important for her to look cool. She's amazed that he seems interested in hanging out with her, so she's going to make sure that she doesn't scare him off. She knows that he's a really nice guy, but he surely won't want to hang out with a girl that embarrasses herself. That's why she needs to master the art of performing. Brianne even said that she would show Allie some techniques sometimes, but she can't do it today because she has to work on some new song that Walter wrote for her.

She basically forced Hadley and Mason to come with her. If she has to do this, she needs some support. Who else would be better than her own brother and sister? She needs a familiar face around when she's doing this. Frankly, Gustavo kinda scares her. She remembers him yelling at her dad and his friends on a regular basis, which has caused her to get super intimidated when he's around. It's a fairly vague memory, but she can sort of remember when she was about four years old and Big Time Rush had been practicing for a concert. Logan tripped over James and sprained his wrist, then the boys started having an argument. Once the boys had cooled down and Kelly had gotten some ice for Logan's wrist, Gustavo started yelling at them about how stupid they are. According to Brianne, she had a talk with Gustavo about calling her husband and his friends stupid.

"To do that, you need to confront your fear." Gustavo says in a booming voice. "We're going to start off with you performing in front of a couple of people. Right now, i will choose a song for you and you will sing it. As far as dancing goes, just improvise. Try not to embarrass yourself. I know how you Diamonds are."

"HEY!" Mason and Hadley yell in unison.

"SHUT UP!" Gustavo yells. Both teens quiet down and walk over to their seats. Gustavo rolls his eyes and walks over to a accordion folder. He opens it and begins looking through some music sheets. He takes one out and hands it to Allie. "Will this be too hard for you? Or do I need to pick something simpler?"

"No, I think I can do this one." Allie says, handing the music sheet back to do. The song is called "This Is My Paradise ." It's a song that Brianne recorded when she was about twenty six years old. It's actually one of Allie's favorites. She likes to sing it while she's in the shower. She always feels like someone might be listening to her, but she brushes it off as paranoia and keeps on singing. She doesn't know how she's going to improvise dance moves. Does Gustavo really think that she can improvise dance moves? If he's going to make her dance, someone should have choreographed a routine first.

_There's a street, there's my right, my left feet,  
>There's a road of nowhere that ends meet<br>I've got the sun, I've got the sand  
>I've got that rock 'n' roll band<br>Here I stand  
>I've told you that when the morning comes<br>I'll be there, my left hand in your right one_

_Ooooo!  
>This is my paradise,<br>I'm at home above all I got it right  
>Let the sun on my shoulder shine!<br>We can run beneath this clear piece of sky,_

_This is my paradise!_

Allie stops singing when Gustavo pauses the music. Oh boy...She isn't sure if she wants to hear whatever he's about to say. She's almost certain that he's about to yell at her. Mason and Hadley look impressed, but she doesn't know about Gustavo. It was hard enough for Big Time Rush to please him. How will Allie manage to do it? Gustavo can be a challenge to work with. A person has to work extra hard if they want to impress this guy. Even if a band sounds great, he'll find something that they need to improve. She can already tell that she still has a lot to work on. Now they've got just a little more than four months before the big show. Before May, she needs to be amazing. Surely, her friends and family will be able to help her. Due to James jealous behavior around Chandler, she hasn't told him that they go to the dance studio after they eat lunch. He would throw one of his "That's my little girl and you better watch your back" tantrums. It's so humiliating, but she knows that her dad only wants to protect her. She tries to be understanding, but it's pretty difficult.

"That was good, but not great. Allie, you still look too nervous." Gustavo explains. "To entertain an audience, you can't be nervous. If you want them to have fun, you need to be having fun. Obviously, you're freaked out for whatever reason, but we are going to fix that. Just watch."

"Dude, I don't think a person can learn anything when you're yelling at them." Hadley comments, shutting up when Gustavo glares at her. That's another thing. This man has no sense of humor. If someone makes a joke, he rarely laughs. He just yells and tells the jokester to stop messing around. When he was still producing for Big Time Rush, Carlos was usually the one making the stupid, hilarious, and random jokes. Everyone else thought he was hilarious, but it drove Gustavo crazy. But his anger issue never stopped them from having fun. There were times where he would be at the end of his rope, but they would keep messing around until he ended up trying to kill them.

"Let's try something else." Gustavo says, handing another music sheet to her. "This time, just sing."

* * *

><p>While Allie is working on her stage fright issues with Gustavo, James is sitting at a table in The Coffee House. He finally has a day off from practicing for the bands upcoming interviews and performances, so he's making sure that he relaxes. In a few days, they will be performing on some talk show. They are going to perform "Bye Bye Bye." He still can't believe that Jack wanted them to cover a NSYNC song. NSYNC is a really old band. Jack said that he wants one classic on the album. Just like every other cover song that the band has done, they made it their own.<p>

James straightens his brown beanie on top of his head, taking a sip of his coffee. He can't wait until Allie gets done with practicing, so he can take her, Hadley, and Mason home. Brianne is at Starstruck Records and James was left in charge of getting the kids to and from Rocque Records. James is happy to help out with their family, but he just wants to curl up on the couch and watch TV, possibly eat some pizza bagels. He's just tired and hungry. It's hard for him to be in a good mood when he's been spending all of his time on preparing to promote the band's new album.

As he looks around the intimate coffee shop, he sees a short brunette with light red highlights ordering at the counter. She looks somewhat familiar, but James won't know for sure until she actually turns around. Most of their old friends from the Palm Woods (Guitar Dude, The Jennifers, Tyler, and others) have moved out and are pursuing their dream careers. Some of them have even gotten married and have kids of their own. He heard that Guitar Dude had married his girlfriend of two years and they are currently expecting a baby together. James still finds it funny that he was the first of their friends to get married and become a parent. No one expected that from James Diamond. He had a reputation as a player, so he shocked everyone when he and Brianne announced their engagement. People were even mored shocked when they announced Brianne's pregnancy. Watching her stomach get so big was exciting, but kind of weird to see. James loved talking to Brianne's belly and kissing it. It made him feel like he was really bonding with their child.

While Guitar Dude has his own family, The Jennifers are still single and looking. Blonde Jennifer was married once, but she went through a highly publicized divorce. Luckily, there were no children, so Jennifer and her ex husband didn't have to worry about a custody battle. The brunette Jennifer, although single, recently adopted a child from Italy. James has seen the pictures and the baby is very cute. The guys always knew that the brunette Jennifer was fairly nice if she wasn't with the other two girls, so adoption is definitely something that she would do. On the other hand, the curly haired Jennifer just dates around. James doesn't even know if that girl has ever had a serious boyfriend. He knows that she dated some actor for about two years, but they broke up recently.

Tyler became a movie star. Even though he constantly avoided going to auditions as a child, he soon realized that he actually enjoys acting. He has starred in some pretty successful films and has even got producing credit on a couple of them.

Everyone has been doing their own thing, even though they are still living in the same city. Lindsey and Jett are the only ones that don't live in LA anymore. They are still actors, but they got tired of living right in the middle of Los Angeles.

James is happy with his life right now. He just wants to go home and get some sleep so he doesn't get so tired and end up fainting onstage. He doesn't want to earn any bad press for the band. He knows how stressful scandals can be and he doesn't want to deal with one. When a celebrity gets involved in some crazy controversy, they have to worry about getting hounded by photographers, releasing a statement, and trying to repair their fragile reputation. He has seen how bad a scandal can get and he's in no mood to deal with that. For the past several years, they have been able to avoid scandal and they want to keep it that way.

_"Make it count! Play it straight! Don't look back! Don't..." _James cell phone rings. James yawns as he answers his phone, pressing the talk button.

"Hello?" He asks quietly.

"Are the kids still practicing?" Brianne asks him.

"Yeah." James nods. adjusting his glasses.

"You sound sleepy." Brianne giggles. Her voice becomes serious as she speaks again. "Are you sure you can drive?"

"Yeah." James nods, rubbing the back of his neck. From a distance, he can see a photographer standing outside the window, snapping pictures of him. He tries to ignore the guy as he focuses on talking to his wife. Is it normal that he still gets tense when the photogs are near? He got into show business for the music, girls, and money, but he never really thought about the paparazzi. Well, he knew that they would follow him, but he was amazed at how invasive they can be. As the band started to get more and more popular, he found himself unable to go to the hockey rink without paparazzi following him and taking pictures. He honestly can't say that he liked this. He may be James Diamond, aspiring singer, actor, and male model, but he doesn't like it when guys following him around with cameras when he's ordering food from Burger King. he got even more irritable around these guys after Allie and Mason were born. He was no longer worried about his privacy, but he was concerned about the two infants and their safety.

"You sure? Because you sound sleepy." Brianne tells him.

"Brie, I'll be okay." James chuckles.

"Okay." Brianne sighs. "I love you."

"I love you too." James says with a soft smile.

"Bye!"

"Bye." James says before hanging up. He looks at the mysterious photographer once again, frowning as he looks away.

* * *

><p>In Florida, Hilary and Leighton are waiting for the physical therapist. In the past few weeks, Leighton hasn't formed any actual words yet. However, she seems to be making attempts. Sometimes she'll open her mouth like she's going to say something, only to stay silent. Hilary grows impatient sometimes, but she knows that Leighton is trying her best. She can tell that Leighton wants to get better. She's doing much better with her exercises and is even becoming more trusting of other people. She isn't completely open yet, but she has started showing Dr. Johansen her journal. Recently, they've learned that she feels guilty about Alicia's death and desires to walk again. Hilary doesn't understand why she would feel guilty about Alicia dying. After all, it wasn't her fault. Dr. Johansen said that it's normal for Leighton to feel guilty, but Hilary doesn't like it.<p>

Leighton wants to be out of rehab before the talent show. She's making slow progress, so that just might be possible. Hilary's goal is to help Leighton get her voice back. Dr. Johansen seems to think that Leighton is capable of talking but she refuses to do so. Leighton was highly traumatized by the accident, so it's no surprise that she's emotionally wrecked. Hilary just wants her baby girl back. Once she gets more stable physically and emotionally, she might even be ready to visit Alicia's grave. She hasn't talked much about it, but she didn't get to attend Alicia's real funeral, so visiting her grave might make up for it. She seems to feel bad because she couldn't be there, so visiting the grave would be helpful. Well, she _thinks _it would be helpful. Thee's also the possibility of Leighton having a nervous breakdown.

"Alright, she should be here in about five minutes." Hilary says, looking at her watch. "Are you feeling okay, Leigh? Are you tired? We got up way too early, didn't we?"

Leighton nods and plays with the pink and purple beaded bracelet on her right wrist. Her red hair is curly and pulled into a pony tail. She has circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Last night wasn't too great for either one of them. Leighton woke up from a nightmare, screaming and crying. She finally went back to sleep, but woke up again when her back started hurting. So Hilary had to wake up again and get her daughter some pain medicine. Both of them are exhausted and just want to go back to sleep for a few more hours. Unfortunately, Leighton has a schedule to go by. Getting up early isn't fun, but it's necessary.

Leighton starts to say something, but she changes her mind.

Hilary sighs in disappointment.

"When are you gonna talk to me? You've been trying, but you haven't actually said anything."

When Leighton shrugs, Hilary frowns deeply. Things have gotten a little better, but Leighton definitely has a long way to go before she recovers.

* * *

><p>After three hours, James is able to take the kids home. All three of them fell asleep in the car, so James is able to have some peace and quiet. He keeps his eyes on the road, occasionally looking at the three teens in the rear view mirror. He has to smile at the way Allie and Hadley are resting their heads on Mason's shoulders. Even though they fight sometime, Mason loves his little sisters. James knows that if anyone ever messes with Allie or Hadley, Mason would defend them in a heartbeat. The Diamonds are a very close and tight knit family. If you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them.<p>

He rolls his eyes as some guy honks at him. He takes a deep breath before honking his own horn three times. When the guy passes him, he honks the horn again.

"YOU'RE NOT SPECIAL JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HORN! I HAVE ONE TOO, BUDDY!" He yells out the window. His yelling must have woke the kids up because when he looks in the rearview mirror, they are all giving him weird looks. He smiles awkwardly, returning his attention to the road. It's not his fault that drivers in Los Angeles are crazy. One time, he even saw a car chase. The police caught the guy, but it still scared Brianne and Allie. Mason and Hadley didn't pay much attention to it. They were either arguing or listening to their MP3 players. James doesn't remember.

"You okay, dad?" Mason asks weirdly.

"Yeah." James says casually, driving through the Lakewood gates. That's the name of the neighborhood that they live in. James drive down the street until he arrives at their home. He parks in the driveway and they all get out of the car. The van is parked in the garage, which means that Brianne is already home. James pushes the front door open and they walk inside. Without taking the time out to say hi to their mother, all three teenagers walk to their rooms. Gustavo's yelling must have really tired them out. They don't usually go straight to their rooms unless they're really tired.

"What's up with them?" Brianne asks as she walks into the hallway. She wraps her arms around James waist and gives him a gentle kiss. JAmes smiles into the kiss, hugging Brianne's waist. He places a kiss on her cheek before suddenly lifting her into his arms. He carries her over to the couch and sits down, hugging her tightly.

"I yelled at some guy in a convertible today." He whispers.

"Why?" Brianne asks slowly.

"He was being obnoxious, honking at me." James mutters. "So I honked back at him and yelled."

"Wow." Brianne says, shaking her head. "You're turning into Gustavo."

"Hey, I am nothing like Gustavo." James argues. Brianne smiles as she gives him a sweet eskimo kiss.

"Sure you're not." She says, ruffling his hair. "What did you do while the kids were with him?"

'Went to The Coffee House." James says, playing with Brianne's fingers."Some paparazzi guy stood outside the window and took pictures of me. Anyway, how was your practice? What did you think of the new song?"

"It's really good." Brianne says, kissing him. "I also got to record Hold Up today. Walter wants it to be my second single from the new album. I'm cool that that because it's a really awesome song."

James smiles as his head falls back against the couch. Today has been sort of boring for him. All he did was sit around at a coffee shop and drink caffeinated beverages while Gustavo made attempts at curing Allie's stage fright. Rehearsal is always tiring, but at least he had something to do. Oh well, he'll be busy on Monday. They will go their sound check at two. That won't take too long. After their sound check, they will sit down with the host and go over the interview questions. After that, they will go get their hair and wardrobe done, then it's show time. The interview and performance won't air on TV until Friday.

"Are you bored? I'm bored." Brianne says thoughtfully. "I've done some practicing and recording, you took the kids to Rocque Records, and how we have nothing else to do."

"I know." James says, kissing her hand.

"Wanna prank Dak and Lauren?" Brianne asks him. He smiles and laughs as he kisses her cheek.

"Don't you think we're too old for that?" He chuckles.

"You're never too old for a prank, Jay." Brianne whispers, kissing his ear.

James is silent for a moment, then he speaks once again.

"Let's go." He says. They both stand up and run out the door, eager to have a little fun with their next door neighbors.

**Songs:**

**This Is My Paradise-Bridgit Mendler**

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for all the amazing reviews! :D They make me so happy!<strong>


	21. Big Time Late Night

"Mrs. Hartley, my husband needs my support." Camille complains. Big Time Rush is doing their first promotional performance on Hot Tunes Late Night and Mrs. Hartley wanted Camille to come and work on the talent show ads to hang around LA. It's almost seven and Camille was hoping that she could be there to support Logan and the guys. She doesn't understand why Mrs. Hartley tries to make everything so difficult. She loves her job, but she isn't a big fan of Mrs. Hartley. The woman is crazy! She already put Camille in charge of practices and now she forces her to come to the school and work on the flyers? It's totally unfair! She's just glad that Brianne was nice enough to pick Chris up from school. Logan couldn't do it and Camille has been working all day, so Brianne was the only person that Camille could think of. Sometimes Camille misses being an actress. It just became to hard for her to find decent roes, so she finally gave up. She misses it, though. As much as she loves teaching, acting will always be her thing. But she has to think about her family. Chris already has one busy and famous parent. Due to Logan's busy schedule, he isn't always able to spend time with Chris. On the other hand, Camille is usually off during the weekends and has a lot more time to focus on raising Chris.

"Camille, we have less than five months until the show." Mrs. Hartley says sternly. "We need to start advertising if we want to get a big audience."

Camille sighs as she sits at the computer, clicking the icon to some design program. She looks at the sheet that Mrs. Hartley put on the desk, telling what information needs to be on the flyer. Ugh, she wants to go home and sleep. She has been at school since seven thirty in the morning and she exhausted. Mrs. Hartley does this to her every year. Camille has been helping with the End Of The Year Talent Show for four years and Mrs. Hartley always makes sure to make it as difficult as possible. The only time that she really enjoys it is when Mrs. Hartley isn't around. That woman is just so difficult to work with. She's too demanding!

_END OF THE YEAR TALENT SHOW!_

_Date: May 11th 6:00 pm_

_Location: Hollywood Arts Auditorium_

_Featuring performances by the students of Hollywood Arts!_

Once she has typed every bit of info, she starts focusing on decorating. She chooses a fancy font in bright red. She decides on a dark purple background with gold stars on printed all over. Then she copy and pastes two pictures, one of her and one of Mrs. Hartley. Underneath the pictures, she types "Director: Mrs. Eileen Hartley" and "Assistant Director: Camille Mitchell." She's still trying to figure out how Mrs. Hartley has the title of Director when Camille's in charge of rehearsals. Sure, Mrs. Hartley was in charge of the auditions and planning, but Camille spends more time with the kids than she does.

"Mrs. Hartley, how many copies do you want me to make?" She asks.

Mrs. Hartley, who was sitting at a student desk with her clipboard, slowly looks up. Her rimmed glasses slip down her nose, but she pushes the back up.

"A hundred." Mrs. Hartley says with a deep frown. Camille gives her a fake smile and looks at the computer screen, going to File then Print. She typed in 100 copies before presses print. She stands up and walks out of the room, since the color printer is in the computer lab down the hall.

She finally enters the empty computer lab, walking over to the printer. SHe anxiously looks at her watch, hoping that she won't miss Logan's performance. Logan said that he understood that she might be a little late, but she doesn't want to be late. She wants to be there on time, so she can see the performance AND interview. She tested Brianne about an hour ago and she said that the guys were getting their hair and wardrobe done. She doesn't want to miss a thing. If she does, she'll be pretty disappointed, but she'll just have to accept it.

She patiently waits for a hundred copes to print out. it takes at least ten minutes for all of them to print out. She carefully picks up the large stack and returns to her own classroom. She happily sits them in front of Mrs. Hartley, who takes one and carefully examines it. Camille smiles nervously.

"These are very good." The drama teacher says. "I'm very impressed, Camille."

"But you left out the W in show." Mrs. Hartley says. Camille whines softly and takes the stack over to her desk before sitting in front of the computer. She corrects her mistake and double checks everything else before printing again. Once again, she returns to the computer lab. It takes ten more minutes to print out a hundred more copies. She takes this new stack back to Mrs. Hartley, who notices no more mistakes. Finally, Camille is allowed to leave for the day.

She breathes a sigh of relief as she exits the school, rushing to her car. She gets into the drivers seat and starts the car, backing out of her parking space. She drives out of the parking lot, trying to resist the urge to speed. She has to make it to Hot Tunes Late Night. She's going to support her husband and his friends. They haven't performed live in more than a year and Camille is sure that they're probably nervous. James, Carlos, and Kendall's wives were going to be there, so Camille is going to do the same for Logan. She doesn't want him to be the only one whose wife didn't show up. How sad would that be?

It takes twenty minutes for her to arrive at the studio. She gets out of her car and runs to the back door, rushing into the building. She makes it to the backstage area, where she sees the other BTR wives and their kids close to the stage. As Camille gets closer, she can see the guys onstage, singing "Bye Bye Bye" for a crowded audience. For three thirty six and one thirty seven year old men (Logan just celebrated his birthday), these guys sure know how to move. They can still dance as good as they did when they were teenagers.

"Mom, you're late." Chris says.

"I know." Camille says, hugging him from behind.

"Hey, this version is really good." Tara says, swaying to the music.

"Hey, let's cheer for them." Brianne whispers to the other wives. Jessica, Jo, and Camille high five her before looking towards you.

"WE LOVE YOU!" They shout in unison. The guys must have heard because they all smile as they glance at the girls. All four women blow a kiss to their husbands, giggling when their husbands try to focus on the performances. It's great being married to a BTR guy. Not only are their talented, but they're so adorable. The girls have already agreed that they are very lucky ladies.

"How are they doing?" Kelly says frantically, pushing past them. She, Jack, and Gustavo are all here to make sure that the guys don't screw it up. Even though the guys are now grown men, Gustavo still calls them "dogs" and worries that they're going to do something stupid and embarrassing. It could happen! Their age doesn't matter. They still entertain themselves with driving Gustavo crazy whenever he comes to Rocque Records. He doesn't understand how they can still be so mental even after getting married and having kids of their own.

"They're doing great." Brianne tells her.

"You know, I've already got their next single planned out." Jack whispers.

"What?" Jessica says. "They just released their music video for this song."

"I have all their singles for this album planned out." Jack whispers, watching guys.

The song finally comes to an end and the guys pose in the middle of the small stage.

* * *

><p>The reporter, Alyssa Handler, shakes the guys hands as the interview comes to an end. She asked them lots of questions about their upcoming album, their families, what they do in their spare time, and how they handle fame. Each guy was fully prepared for these questions, which was a good thing. Jack doesn't want them to stammer like idiots, so he made sure that they went over the questions and carefully thought about their answers before the show started. It must have worked because, to everyone's relief, they did just fine.<p>

As the guys walk offstage, their wives drag them into hugs. Brianne hugs James neck and kisses him passionately, while Allie, Mason, and Hadley watch in embarrassment. James smirks at Brianne before walking over to the kids, dragging them into a group hug. He makes sure to plant a lot of kisses all over Allie and Hadley's faces. Both girls try to pull away, but James is too strong for them. So they are forced to stay still as James kisses their noses. Mason stands behind them and watches in amusement. Of course, his amusement is shortened when Brianne pulls him into a hug and kisses his cheek.

"Mom!" He whines.

"Okay, dad, that's enough." Hadley says, quickly pulling away.

"Hey, did you get the talent show flyers printed out?" Logan asks Camille, holding her hands.

"Yep." Camille nods, kissing him. "Finally."

"You were just doing your job." Logan reassures her, noticing her guilty expression. Camille shrugs and hugs his waist, still trying to silently apologize for her lateness. It's all Mrs. Hartley's fault. If she weren't so difficult, Camille wouldn't have been late. She made it eventually, but she missed the first verse and chorus of the song.

"Thanks for coming." Carlos tells Jessica, hugging her waist.

"Trust me, it was no problem at all." Jessica grins, kissing her husband.

"You know, I'm right here." Tara says.

"Go and get your purse from your dad's dressing room." Jessica responds. Tara rolls her eyes and walks away. Once she's gone, Carlos and Jessica continue their making out.

Kendall and Jo are standing by the wall, talking to baby Maddie. The baby girl is already a month old and totally beautiful. She last Jo's blonde hair and Kendall's green eyes. She tries to smile, but hasn't quite mastered it yet. She's very sweet, though. She loves being held by her parents, brother, or basically any familiar face.

"Maddie, can you smile for daddy?" Kendall asks. Maddie just stares at her father, trying to chew on her fist.

"Let's see if James can get her to do it." Jo says. "She loves him."

"Fine, we'll let her visit with Uncle James." Kendall mutters, disappointed that he can't make his daughter smile.

"James, see if you can get Allie to smile." Jo says, handing the baby to James.

"Hey, cutie." James says, cradling the baby girl. Maddie puts her fist in her mouth and whines when James grabs it. She wraps her hand around James finger. She sticks her tongue out at him and the others laugh at her cuteness. James moves her so that her head is resting on his shoulder, rubbing her back. He adjusts the pink pull over hat on her head, kissing her cheek. Maddie makes another attempt at smiling, but she fails once again. James sighs as he stares at her adorable face, feigning confusion.

"Why won't you smile for us?" He asks her.

"Hey, I guess every baby is different." Jo says as she takes her daughter back. "She'll start smiling soon."

"Don, who are you texting?" Allie asks.

"Leighton." Donald says, still focused on his phone.

"How is she doing?" Brianne asks him. "I haven't talked to Hilary in a while, so I don't know what's going with them."

"She said that she'll probably be there for at least another month, maybe a little more." Don says, typing something else.

"Has she talked yet? Because I heard that she's completely mute now." Mason says.

"She said that she's trying." Don says. "But due to not talking for so long, it's hard for her to find her voice. She said that whenever she tries, her voice cracks and she just can't say anything. She's trying really hard, though. I know she wants to talk again."

"I almost miss hearing her talk and not shutting up." Tara says. "She was so annoying sometime, but after a while, you kinda start to miss the girl."

Everyone nods in agreeement.

"Well, I think we're gonna heard home." Brianne says, grabbing James hand. She wants the kids to get ready for bed when they get home. They did their homework as soon as they got home from school today, so they could go to their dad's performance and not have to worry about cramming.

They all say goodbye before walking in opposite directions.

* * *

><p>"Mom, can I skip school tomorrow?" Hadley asks, crawling under her covers.<p>

Brianne shakes her head as she turns around. She doesn't know why Hadley would ask such a question. Of course she can't skip school! She has a History test tomorrow and even if she didn't, she still wouldn't be allowed to skip. Most teenagers would never ask their parents about something like that.

"No." She says before closing the door. She walks down the hallway to hers and James room, where her husband is already asleep. She crawls under the covers and snuggles up to him, kissing his cheek. She giggles as he drapes his arm over her stomach, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She pulls away so she can look at his face. She cps his cheek with a gentle hand, stroking the soft skin. She kisses him softly, frowning when he starts to stir. She was hoping that he could get some sleep. He has been at work since two, so he's totally worn out. Why did she have to go and wake him up?

"Baby, you can sleep." She says, playing with his hair.

"Your kiss woke me up." He says tiredly.

"I'm sorry." Brianne whispers, kissing him again. "Do you want me to give you a back rub? That usually helps you sleep."

'Um, sure." James says, rolling into his other side. Brianne begins rubbing his back, listening to his relaxed breathing. Occasionally, her hand moves from his back to his shoulders. Finally, after several minutes of massaging his tired muscles, James falls back to sleep. She smiles and kisses the back of his head before snuggling against him. She drapes her arm over him and lets him hold her hand.

* * *

><p>"Have you been working on your songs?" Tara asks Allie while eating a ham and cheese sandwich.<p>

Allie stops eating her own sandwich long enough to look at Tara.

"Yep." She says before taking another bite. "Chandler wants to get together this weekend and practice our duet again."  
>She looks at Tara, who has a knowing smile on her face. Allie and Chandler are spending more time together these days, but they aren't dating. Tara seems to think that they will eventually, but Allie just doesn't know. Chandler hasn't made any move to ask her out, so she isn't sure if he just thinks of her as a friend or what. She certainly likes him a lot, but she just isn't sure how he feels about her. She hopes that they could be more than friends, but she's still waiting for him to make a move. Nothing has happened between them yet, but she's definitely waiting for him.<p>

"What?" She asks her friend.

"You totally like him." Tara says excitedly.

"No, I don't." Allie denies, laughing nervously.

"Yes, you do!" Tara squeals.

"Hush!" Allie whispers, looking around the Asphalt Cafe. She groans as a certain brunette walks over to her. Morgan seems to be out to get her. The girl is constantly telling Allie that she's going to ruin the talent show. She insists that they should just kick Allie out because she's going to make a mockery of it.

"You and Chandler have been spending a lot of time together." Morgan says, sitting across from them.

Allie looks at Hadley, who is just sitting there with a clenched jaw. Morgan said some rude stuff to her during first period and she's still mad about it.

"Better be careful." Morgan says, leaning closer to her. "We all know that he's way too good for you."

"Alright, you know what? You need to get out of here before I make you." Hadley snaps, standing up. Morgan smirks and slowly stands up. Tara and Allie look at each other nervous before looking at Hadley and Morgan. If someone doesn't step in, these two are going to start going at it. Hadley will probably throw the first punch and she'll get in trouble. Allie cares enough to not want her sister to get in trouble.

"Morgan, stop causing trouble." A familiar male voice says. They look at Chandler, who gently pushes Morgan out of the way and sits down. The drama queen growls under her breath and storms off.

"Hadley, just sit back down." Allie says, tugging at Hadley's arm. Hadley angrily sits back down with her back facing the table. When someone gets her riled up, she isn't a very social person. She usually wants to be left alone until she cools down. From the looks of it, that's gonna take a while.

"Why does Morgan keep messing with you?" Chandler asks Allie.

"She's just mad because I'm replacing Leighton in the show." Allie says, rolling her eyes.

"Wanna go for a walk? Maybe we could talk about it." Chandler suggests. Allie looks at Tara, who nods excitedly. Allie gives her a playful shove before eating the last of her sandwich. She tosses her tray unto the nearest garbage can. She notices that Hadley still looks peeved off, so she gives her little sister a comforting hug. Hadley doesn't really hug back, but she does lean into Allie's embrace.

"Please stay out trouble." She whispers before following Chandler.

"She has a temper, doesn't she?" Chandler says as they enter the school.

"Kinda." Allie tells him. "She doesn't get angry a lot, but she gets real fired up when someone does tick her off."

"Right." Chandler says simply. "Alright, tell me more about the Morgan issue."

"Like I said, she hates that someone is replacing Leighton in the show." Allie explains. "Alicia's spot was left open and Morgan thinks that they should do the same for Morgan. But they didn't want to leave two spots open."

"That's understandable." Chandler tells her. "That's why Morgan should stop being such a baby."

"I know, right?" Allie giggles.  
>"Yeah!" Chandler says, wrapping his arms around her. Allie squeals as she is dragged into a bone crushing hug. Once she gets her hands free, she wraps her arms around her waist. Wow, he's so nice and cozy. His last girlfriend probably had a lot of fun cuddling with him.<p>

"What are you doing?" She laughs.

"You look like you could use a hug." Chandler says, squeezing her.

"You were right." Allie says, returning the hug.

For about five minutes, she stays wrapped in his arms with her head on his chest. This is really nice. She really doesn't want to let go.

"Feel better now?" Chandler asks her, pulling away from the hug.

"Yeah." Allie smiles.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Chandler says, ruffling her hair. Allie starts to push his hand away, but he quickly grabs it. He pulls her against him and they look at each other. Their faces get closer to each other until their noses are touching, then...

RIIIIING!

"Um, I should get to class." Allie says, stepping backwards.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Chandler says.

"Sure." Allie says before turning around and walking down the hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	22. You're Pushing It

Camille smiles happily as she enters her home. She loves Friday's so much. Since she's a teacher, she gets the weekends off. So she has enough time to focus on her family. It's nice to get a break from being "Mrs. Mitchell" and just be "Camille" and "Mom". Every teacher needs a break from working, so they can enjoy their personal lives. During the weekends, Camille enjoys spending time with her husband and their son. Occasionally, she might go over to Brianne or Jo's house. It's been a while since she's had a girls night out, but she doesn't really need to do that. She prefers to stay home and spend time with Logan and Chris. They are the two most important people in her life. She doesn't want to be the mom that puts friends or work as her number one priority. When she was pregnant, she knew that her priorities would have to change, and they did. She finally made the decision to take a break from acting. She misses it a lot, but she knows that she did the right thing. If she was always working on a film or TV show, she wouldn't be able to spend as much time with her family. A lot of her friends stayed in show business and when they get a part in a film, they aren't able to spend a lot of time with their families. Camille didn't feel comfortable being an actress and a mother. She wanted choose either one or the other.

She puts her purse on the couch and walks to the kitchen, grabbing the Oreos off the counter. She walks back to the living room and sits on the couch, turning the TV on. She eats one cookie after another, happy that the CW is showing New Town High reruns. She thinks that this episode is one that Brianne was in. She played a recurring role four four seasons, then left the series after season five. She played Britney, a mysterious new girl at New Town High. She replaces the character Lila as the bad girl Madison's rival in season 2, when Madison gets out of jail (Or the mental institution. Camille hasn't watched this show in a while) As the series progresses, the audience learns a lot about Britney's backstory and other interesting information about her. She was an interesting character and most New Town High fans seemed to like her.

Camille becomes highly absorbed in the show until the front door opens. She watches as Logan and Chris walk into the house. She had put Logan in charge of taking Chris to school today, since he doesn't have work today. That's reminds her that Chris will probably stay in his room and play video games, so she can have Logan to herself. It seems like they haven't had a lot of alone time lately, so she thinks that they should take advantage of this opportunity. Logan has been so busy working on the new BTR album, so he hasn't been at home as much as he was when they weren't working on an album.

"How was school today, honey?" She asks Chris.

"I got a B on my math test." The eight year old tells her.

"Well, that's not so bad." Camille tells him, giving her son a hug. She gives Logan a look, feeling happy when he nods in agreement. Chris is a very smart boy and he always feels bad if he doesn't get an A. He reminds Camille so much of Logan, who was always concerned with his grades in high school.

"Hey, why don't you go play some video games?" Logan says, ruffling Chris's hair.

"Okay." Chris sighs, walking toward his room. Once he is out of sight, Logan kisses his wife. Camille smiles into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Logan grabs her hand and leads her over to the couch, where he sits down and pulls her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"How was your day?" He asks.

"Interesting." Camille says slowly. "I decided to give the class a free day and Hadley entertained them by reading a list of Ways To Annoy Your Teacher."

"Ways To Annoy Your Teacher?" Logan asks with a confused expression.

"Listen to this one." Camille sighs. "One of them was to end your paper with "This paper will self destruct in ten minutes." For some reason, she got a real kick out of that. She started laughing and the rest of the class started laughing. I was really confused. Honestly, I do not understand teenagers these days."

"In a few years, Chris will be one." Logan tells her, kissing her cheek.

"After Hadley was done reading the list, she suggested that we should watch The Lost Treasure." Camille tells him. "I said no because I've seen that movie and I find it kind of disturbing. When that guy is looking for that treasure, he encounters some really scary stuff along the way. Remember when we saw it in theaters?"

"I had nightmares for the next week." Logan says, shivering.

"Exactly." Camille says, kissing him. "That's why I refuse to play it in class. It's too violent for these kids."

"Hey, we figured out a long time ago that Hadley isn't a normal child." Logan reminds her.

"Right." Camille says, hugging him tightly. She rests her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of him holding her. She can hear the various video game sounds coming from Chris's room, but she doesn't pay much attention to it. She's getting some hugs and kisses from her incredibly hot husband, so she's a very happy girl right now.

* * *

><p>Now that Hold Up has been recorded. Brianne has learned the dance moves for the song. For the most part, she likes the dancing, but dancing with another guy feels a little awkward. She always worries when she's showing James a new dance because she's always concerned that he's going to get jealous. When she's singing a love song, she has act pretty flirty with her male dancers and she knows that James doesn't like that. He's very understanding because she's just doing her job but it's obvious that the intimate nature of some dances makes him a little uncomfortable. Honestly, she doesn't love it either. It seems that the record company started to pressure her more and more as she got older. It was around age twenty five that her outfits became more revealing. She received a lot of criticism from parents of younger fans, but it's what the record company wanted. They wanted to show the world how "mature" Brianne could really be.<p>

The music suddenly stops and Brianne stops dancing. She removes her headset and looks at Walter, who motions for her to hold on as he answers his phone. She rolls her eyes and stands there, tapping her foot against the stage. She wants to go home already! She needs to start cooking dinner! She promised James that she would make some cheese ravioli when she got home, so she hopes to get off work very soon. She can't make dinner if she's stuck at work, practicing dance moves and recording new songs. She loves doing that, but she just wants to go home for the day. That's all she wants right now. is that so much to ask?

"Really? Shut up! Okay, I'll tell her!" Walter says before hanging up. "Brianne, you're scheduled to perform at Club Nokia in two weeks."

"What?" Brianne says with surprise in her voice.

"Even better, Alaina Valentine is going to be your opening act!" Walter says happily.

"Yay." Brianne says through a smile. Alaina Valentine, the crazy girl that Katie is forced to work with on a daily basis. Brianne already knows how mental that girl is and the girl is going to be her opening act. She was talking to Katie the other night. Katie said that Alaina has to be one of the most dysfunctional teenagers that Katie has ever met. Ugh, Brianne doesn't want to deal with this right now!

"Hey, I know she's a little crazy, but this is going to be fun." Walter tells her. "Now, why don't you go home and relax? You have to be here at ten tomorrow so we can practice some more. I want this show to rock! We're gonna show the world that Brianne Rocque may be over thirty but she still knows how to entertain a crowd."

"Of course she does." Brianne mutters, grabbing her gym bag. "See you tomorrow, Walter."

She runs her fingers through her hair as she walks out of the dance studio. As she walks outside, she sees a photographer hiding behind a bush as he snaps pictures of her. She tries to ignore him as she walks to her car. Some photographers are more assertive when it comes to getting pictures of a celebrity, but others try to be subtle and sneaky. She prefers the ones that are subtle and sneaky. The assertive ones will approach a star while she's shopping or walking to her car and they will not back off until you give them what they want. When Brianne was pregnant, James would get so mad at these guys if they got too close to her. It was really sweet, though. As long as he doesn't go too far, Brianne loves his protective side.

As she is driving home, she finds her hunger growing stronger. This is what happens when she's stuck at work all day. A Subway sandwich at lunchtime isn't enough for her. She has to stay at work for hours after that and her hunger quickly returns.

When she finally gets home, she practically runs to the front door. She unlocks it and steps into the house, closing the door before walking to the kitchen. She gets all of the ingredients out and begins preparing the cheese ravioli. She hums to herself as she cooks the delicious meal, stopping when she hears footsteps. She smiles as James kisses her cheek, returning the kiss before playfully pushing him away. She giggles as James wraps his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. He's such an affectionate person and she loves that.

"What have you been doing today?" She asks him.

"Just hanging around." James sighs, burying his face in her shoulder. "How was rehearsal?"

"Tiring." Brianne tells him. "But fun."

"Awesome." James says, kissing her neck. "Are you making our dinner?"

"Uh huh." Brianne responds, patting his hand.  
>"I'm starving." James says softly, squeezing her tightly.<p>

"Just be patient." Brianne tells him. "It'll be done in a little while."

"Okay." James says quietly. He kisses her cheek before walking to the living room, sitting on the couch. He groans at the loud rock music coming from Hadley's room.

"HADLEY, TURN THAT DOWN!" He calls out. He sighs in relief when the volume is turned down a notch.

"Hey, where are Allie and Mason?" He asks.

"Mason is next door and Allie is in her room with Chandler." Brianne says with a warm smile. "They're doing homework."

"Homework my...Ughhhhh!"James growls before standing up. Brianne groans as her husband storms down the hallway. She pushes some hair away from her face before following him. She loves him, but he's so paranoid. Just because his daughter is spending time with a boy, he starts going crazy. Personally, she's glad that Allie is becoming close with someone her own age. Chandler seems like a very nice boy and she doesn't understand why James won't just leave him alone. He drove Katie crazy when they were younger and now he's going to be the same way with his own daughter.

"James David Diamond, don't you dare interrupt them!" She whispers, grabbing his arm. She forces him to stay still, rubbing his bicep. She just needs to calm him down, so he won't embarrass Allie again. If she can get him to relax, he surely won't make a complete idiot out of himself.

"My daughter is in there and I will not let some Justin Bieber wannabe ruin her!"

"He's nothing like Justin Bieber!" Brianne whines.

James enters Allie and Mason's room, furrowing his eyebrows when he sees Allie and Chandler sitting on the floor, with books and their homework in front of them. Allie gives him a stern look and he rolls his eyes. Yes, they were really doing homework, but he still doesn't trust this guy, and he's going to make sure that Chandler is aware of that.

"Um, Chandler, can I speak with you alone?" He asks with fake friendliness in his voice. Allie groans quietly as Chandler stands up and follows her dad out of the room. Brianne gives Allie an apologetic look before returning to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, James and Chandler have entered the office. James pulls the glass double doors shut.

"Have a seat." He says as he sits in the computer chair. Chandler grabs another chair and slowly sits down.

"Sir, Allie and I were just doing homework." He says carefully.

"Yeah, I bet you were." James says through a smile. "Chandler, Allie is my little girl. She's very important to me and..."

"I totally understand that." Chandler says.

"Of course you do." James mutters. "You see, Allie is a special girl. She deserves a man that will treat her right. She deserves someone that is never going to hurt her in any way. If I find out that you've done anything to harm her, I will not hesitate pound you into a pulp and toss you into the ocean. Got that?"

Chandler gulps, amazed at how scary Allie's dad can really be.

"Eep." He squeaks softly.

"Yeah, that's right." James whispers, getting in Chandler's face. "Be afraid."

He stands up straight and smiles, patting Chandler's shoulder before walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>"You know, it's too quiet." Logan says, hugging Camille's waist. The only other noise in the Mitchell household is coming from Chris's room. Logan and Camille don't really feel like watching TV, so they aren't sure what else they could do. They really should get a dog or something. Logan has always wanted one. He never got to have one when he was a kid. Money was kinda tight and there were more important things to spend it on. His mom never finished college, her husband left when Logan was five months old, and she had to get a job as a waitress. Once Logan was about fifteen years old, he got a job at the local supermarket to help his mom out. He wasn't always able to buy the things that he wanted, but he didn't really mind. There were times where he wished that he could have the things that his friends had, but he accepted his situation. Now he''s a famous singer and he has a lot of money. His mom went back to college, so she's doing a lot better too.<p>

"I know." Camille says, playing with his hair. "But I have an idea."

She stands up and grabs her laptop, then grabs the Sims 3 Late Night games. She's had it for years and hasn't played in a while, but it definitely keeps her entertained when she needs it. She sits next to Logan and puts the disk in the computer, clicking on the Sims icon. She goes to Create A Sim and begins designing a character. She gives it brown hair and brown eyes, making sure that it looks exactly like her. Then she creates a Logan look alike. She looks at her husband, who is staring at the screen with curiosity. He probably doesn't know that she just created a Sims version of them. He'll figure it out soon enough.

"They look familiar." Logan says, frowning.

"Babe, that's us." Camille says, kissing his cheek.

"Oh." Logan says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Camille giggles at his cuteness and kisses him again before focusing on the screen. She chooses their house and the game begins. She wants them to get married, so she gets the two Sims to flirt with each other. Soon enough, Sim Logan finds Sim Camille "extremely irresistible." They become romantic interests, then boyfriend and girlfriend. After a little more flirting, they become engaged and Camille chooses for them to get married in a private ceremony. She smirks as Logan chuckles. She remembers their wedding. They got married here in LA at the beach. It was a big deal too. Well, it was a big deal to their family and friends. They didn't want their wedding to be as publicized as Kim Kardashian's wedding was. Hilary attended the Kardashian wedding and she said that it was huge. Camille didn't want her wedding to be a publicity thing. She and Logan didn't invite anyone other than family and friends.

"Remember our wedding? She asks him.

"Yeah, Carlos got cake in James hair at our reception." Logan says. "Brianne had to take him outside so she could fix it for him. Also, he was about to throw a tantrum and she didn't want him to cause a scene."

"Weddings are fun." Camille says as Sim Camille eats dinner with Sim Logan.

"Yeah." Logan says, resting his head on her shoulder.

* * *

><p>James, Brianne, Allie, Mason, and Hadley are sitting at the dinner table with plates of cheese ravioli in front of them. Mason has a dreamy smile on his face, Allie is giving James the silent treatment, Hadley is already digging into her meal, while James and Brianne are just watching their three kids.<p>

"Mason, what are you thinking about, sweetie?" Brianne asks carefully.

"I think I'm in love." Mason says with a happy sigh. Everyone else roles their eyes upon hearing him state the obvious.

"We were already aware of that, nitwit!" Hadley says, smacking him behind the head.

"Finally, you admit that I'm smart." Mason says proudly. His parents and siblings look at him weirdly. He really needs to read the dictionary because nitwit doesn't mean smart person.

"Dude, she just called you an idiot." James says slowly.

"What?" Mason asks, looking confused.

"I'll show him." Allie says, typing the word into the dictionary on her phone. She hands the phone to Mason, who carefully reads the definition. Slowly, he expression turns into a look of shock.

"Mean!" He tells Hadley.

"Would you prefer to have someone else break it to you?" Hadley asks him.

"Well, no, but..." Mason stammers.

"Hadley, your brother is not an idiot." Brianne says, giving Hadley a warning look.

Riiiing!

Allie looks at the caller ID on her cell phone, smiling happily.

"It's Chandler." She says before answering it. James whines and starts to lean forward, but Brianne grabs him before his face can touch his ravioli.

"Tomorrow?" Allie asks. "Okay, that sounds great. Okay, bye."

She hangs up and puts her cell phone on the table.

"Does your new boyfriend want to hang out again?" Hadley asks while smiling at James.

"We've been planning on practicing tomorrow, but he just told me what time to be at his house." Allie says.

"Fantastic." James mumbles, sitting up. "Brie, can I speak to you alone?"

"Why?" Brianne asks in confusion. She finds herself being pulled away from the table, down the hallway, and into the hallway closet. When James turns the light on, Brianne gets a good look at his annoyed expression. She sighs as she touches his cheek, kind of annoyed that he keeps obsessing over Allie and Chandler. She has already told him to trust the two teenagers, but he doesn't seem to be listening. Why is he so stubborn and overprotective? She can understanding being protective of his kids, but he's really overdoing it.

"Let's spy on them tomorrow." He whispers.

"Are you crazy?" Brianne whispers loudly. James quickly slaps his hand over her mouth, shushing her.

"I don't trust him at all." James tells her, removing his hand. "We need to make sure that he doesn't mess with our little girl."

"James, Hadley is our little girl." Brianne says, grabbing his shoulders. "Allie is an almost high school graduate. She's practically an adult and I suggest that you start treating her like one. That means no spying, no interrogating Chandler, and no threatening Chandler. I want you to leave him and Allie alone. Do you understand me?"

"Um, okay." James lies.

By the way, he's still going to spy on them. He just isn't going to tell Brianne about it. And if she does find out, she won't be too mad, right?

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	23. Concerned

"You have your cell phone?" James asks Allie as he parks in front of Chandler's house.

"Yes, dad." Allie sighs. James has been asking her questions like this for the whole car ride. It's driving her crazy! He's so worried that Chandler is going to hurt her. That won't ever happen because Chandler is a really nice guy. He does't disrespect women. He;'s a little rough around the edges, but he's really sweet. He may be a little obnoxious and a little immature, but Allie really likes him. She's kinda hoping that he might ask her out. She's never been on a real date before, but she would like to before she graduates in May. At the same time, the thought of a guy like him asking out a girl like her seems kinda weird. He's popular and she's not, so he might not want to date someone that isn't of his same social status. Sometimes she wonders if she should get a little makeover to impress him, but he seems to like her the way she is, but she doesn't know. She's pretty plain as far as looks go. She doesn't have fancy clothes, perfect hair, or a dazzling smile.

"Good." James says, patting her head. When Allie glares at him, he removes his hand from her head. "I'll pick you up in three hours."

"Alright." Allie says, getting out of the van. She waves at him before running to the front door. James drives past the fence surrounding their property and down the street. He's going to make sure that Chandler isn't doing anything to mess with his baby girl. He may be going a little overboard, but he has to protect his kids. Brianne is constantly reminding him that Allie is growing up, but he doesn't want her to grow up. He doesn't want her to end up getting married and having kids at a young age. To him, she's still a little girl. He has protected her from heartbreak, cared for her when she was sick, and tended to every little cut or bruise, so he's scared about letting her go out on her own. He feels the same way about Mason, but not as much as he feels about his daughters. He knows how teenage guys think. If a girl isn't careful, some jerk could try to take advantage of her.

He parks the van around the corner, not too far from Chandler's house. He gets out of the van and runs back to the house. When he gets there, he's tired and out of breath, but that doesn't stop him from hiding in the nearest bush and peeking through the living room window. He rolls his eyes when he sees Chandler spin Allie around. He smiles happily as Allie slaps Chandler's shoulder, hoping that it hurt. It obviously didn't because Chandler just laughs and ruffles her hair. James eyes widen as that guy wraps his arms around Allie's waist, giving her a tight squeeze.

_Ugh, that jerk better get his hand off my daughter_

James frowns in confusion as Chandler whispers something to Allie. His eyes widen as they walk down the hallway. Where are they going? Oh boy, James is freaking out right now. He needs to know what they're talking about and what they're doing, but he can't risk them finding out about his spying. Maybe if he's really carefully, he could get inside the house, hide in a closet, and listen to their conversation.

James tip toes to the front door, opening it and sneaking into the house. He quickly tip toes down the hallway and looks for a hiding place. He smiles happily when he sees a closet next to Chandler's room. He walks into the closet and pulls it so that it's almost closed. He presses his ear against the wall and gets a look of concentration on his face. What are they talking about? Yes, he is aware that he's being stupid, but he's okay with that. If protecting his baby girl is stupid, then he's proud of his stupidity. What he's doing right now is what he calls an example of good parenting.

"What should we do now?" Chandler asks Allie. James eyes widen once again. _Please don't say make out, Allie. Please don't say make out._

"I don't know." Allie says thoughtfully. "Wanna go back to the lake?"

"Sounds fun." Chandler says. "Just let me grab some towels. We might wanna go for a swim."

""Towels?" James whispers. He looks at the shelve behind him. Oh no...He needs to hide! James stumbles around in a panic, finally grabbing a large towel and laying on the floor. He curls into a ball and pulls the towel over himself. The door opens and Chandler enters the closet, grabbing two towels. James silently prays that he won't notice that bundle on the floor. Luckily, he doesn't. James sighs in relief as the door closes. He throws the towel off himself and jumps up, listening as the back door opens and closes. Slowly, he steps out of the closet. He walks to the back door and peeks outside, groaning when Allie and Chandler get into a pick up truck. Oh great, he's a farm boy with his old truck and farm animals. He doesn't want Allie to rase farm animals for the rest of her life. She's gonna go to college and become a History teacher like she wanted.

When the pick up enters the pasture and starts getting farther away, James walks outside and starts searching for a way to the lake. He frowns as he enters the stable, looking at a beautiful golden Palomino horse.

"Nice horsey." He gulps, slowly grabbing a bridle. He struggles to get it on the horse. He finally succeeds and he opens the gate, leading the horse out of the stall.

"You're gonna get me to the lake, alright?" He whispers as he puts a saddle on the horses back. He hoists himself up, grabbing the reins. The horse starts galloping into the pasture. James holds onto the rains as they get closer to the lake. He forces the horse to halt, watching Chandler and Allie. Okay, they're just starting sitting by the lake! James thought that they had come here to make out! Does James need to check into the funny farm? Is he just going crazy? Maybe he needs to go to some kind of support group for worried dads.

"Okay, they're not doing anything yet." He whispers. The horse makes a loud noise and James whispers for him or her to shut up.

"Hey, what was that?" Chandler asks. "I hope Maggie didn't get loose again."

"Maggie?" Allie questions.

"My horse." Chandler tells her.

"Your name is Maggie, huh?" James whispers, petting the horse.

"Why don't I check it out?" Allie says, standing up. James gets a look of horror when Allie starts walking in his direction.

"Go!" He whispers to the horse. He starts to make Maggie turn around, but the horse apparently has another idea. She neighs loudly and stands on her hind legs, throwing James off before getting back on all fours.

"Dad?" Allie yells.

"Um, hey." James says with a nervous smile. "Beautiful day, isn't?"

"Hey, what was it?" Chandler asks her. He frowns as he looks at James. "Mr. Diamond?"

"Don't ask." James snaps, standing up.

"Chandler, I'll call you later." Allie says while glaring at James. "I think my father needs to go home."

"Um, sure." Chandler says. "Do you want me to drive you back to the house?"

"Yeah." Allie says before walking past her dad.

James smiles nervously and waves as Allie gets into the front passengers seat of the truck. Oh, he's gonna get an earful when they get home. It's bad enough being lectured by one woman, but he's gonna have to deal with Allie _and _Brianne. He knows that he's going to be in trouble. Brianne will probably make him sleep on the couch because he ignored her warning to not spy on Allie.

When Maggie neighs again, he gives her a dirty look.

"This is your fault." he growls, hoisting himself onto her back. "Would you just get me back to the house so I don't have to walk? You owe me."

_Great, I'm reprimanding a horse!_

* * *

><p>"I cannot believe you!" Brianne exclaims, pacing in front of James. "I told you not to do it, but did you listen? Of course not!"<p>

"Hey, I'm sorry." James says, trying to lean in for a kiss. He whines as Brianne puts her hand on his chest, preventing him from getting any closer.

"You're not off the hook, James." She says sternly.

This what James means when he complains about women. When their husband screws up, she just rambles on and on, knowing that her husband is probably bored out of his mind. James just wants to kiss and make up already! He was only doing what any protective father would do. Speaking of Allie, she has locked herself in her room and refuses to speak to James. She didn't talk to him for the whole ride home and she went to her room as soon as they got here. He doesn't know how long she's going to stay mad, but he hopes that it won't be for too long.

"I don't understand what's going on with you." Brianne tells him. "You were fine until Allie started spending time with Chandler."

"I'm telling you, Brie! He's probably a total player!" James whines.

"You are such a man child." Brianne whispers, rubbing her temples.

"Do you want him to turn our little girl into a hard partying psychopath?" James asks, grabbing her shoulders.

Brianne sighs as she removes his hands from shoulders, holding them with a tight grip. She can see that he's really worried about their daughter, which makes it hard to stay mad at him. She just wants him to stop being so crazy when it comes to their kids. He really needs to relax and trust Allie more than he does. He always says that he trusts her, but his actions today show that he isn't as trusting as he claims to be. She doesn't know how to handle his overprotective nature. She isn't going to tell him to stop protecting their kids, but he needs to calm down.

"Hey, come with me." She sighs, leading him towards the staircase. They walk upstairs and to their room. She noticed that he has a little blood on his arm from that horse throwing him off. It needs to be taken care of, so it won't get infected.

She leads him into the master bathroom and pulls the toilet seat down, forcing him to sit down.

"You scraped your arm." She says quietly. She grabs a wash cloth and runs it under cold water before cleaning the wounded arm with it. Then she grabs some ointment and puts some on the scrape. Once she has cleaned and doctored the scrape, she wraps the arm in some white gauze. She frowns when she sees James saddened expression. Poor guy...He's only trying to keep his daughter safe. Brianne still doesn't think that Chandler is a bad guy, but she understands why James feels the way he does. She just wants to give him a hug, so she does.

"I know you're upset." She says, giving him a tight hug. "But you need to relax, okay?"

She kisses his cheek and sighs when he buries his face in her shoulder. Her poor husband is stressed out and she doesn't know what to do about it.

"Babe, come on." She says, cupping his face in her hands. She strokes his cheeks and gives him a kiss. "Let's do something fun. We could watch some hockey."

"Really?" James says quietly.

"Yeah.' Brianne says, helping him up. She wraps her arm around his waist and they walk back downstairs. She leads him over to the couch and makes him sit down. She sits next to him and kisses his cheek before turning the TV on.

"Are you still mad at me?" James asks softly.

"Not really." Brianne says, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I don't want you to spy on anyone ever again, okay?"

"Okay." James says quietly.

"I'm serious, Jay.

"I know." James tells her.

Brianne giggles and snuggles against him.

* * *

><p>Hilary watches as Leighton tries to form actual words. Her attempts at speaking have become frequent and HIlary is really excited. It's great to see Leighton actually trying to get her voice back. Due to not talking for more than a month, her voice is going to be kinda hoarse, but it doesn't matter as long as she starts saying something. She's getting better psychically, but they just need to get her talking again. Once she has made enough progress, she might be able to go back to LA. She has written that she really misses LA and Hilary always tells her that she needs to start talking again, so she can get even closer to going home.<p>

"Uh..." Leighton squeaks, trying to speak.

"Come on, honey." Hilary tells her.. "You can do it. Why don't you start with something small? A word or short sentence."

"Okay?" Leighton whispers weakly.

Hilary squeals happily, hugging her daughter.

"You did it!" She says. "Now let's try something else."

"Can I go home now?" Leighton whispers.

"Not yet, sweetie." Hilary says, pushing some hair away from Leighton's face. "Maybe in another month. You're getting a lot better, but we need to make sure that you're becoming independent enough, okay? Don't worry, though. You'll be back home before you know it. We might even celebrate with a little trip to the beach. How does that sound?"

"Sounds fun." Leighton whispers. She wheels herself into the restroom and sits in front of the mirror, grabbing her mascara from the cosmetics case. She applies some to her eyelashes before putting it away. Then she grabs a hairbrush and combs her hair. She frowns when she sees her reflection in the mirror. Her face is pale and weak, she looks thinner than before the accident, but the most noticeable thing is the wheelchair that she's sitting in. After a moment of staring, she wheels herself out of the restroom. She puts on a fake smile, not wanting to worry her mom.

"Hon, you look tired." Hilary tells her.

"I am." Leighton whispers.

"You should get some rest." Hilary says. She lifts Leighton from her wheelchair and lowering her onto the bed, pulling the covers over her tired body. She almost immediately falls asleep.

Hilary sighs as she sits on the bed, watching Leighton sleep. After a few minutes, Leighton starts tossing and turning in her sleep. She begins to mumble incoherently and Hilary watches with intense worry.

"AHHH! NO! ALICIA! DON'T GO!" Leighton begins screaming.

"Leigh, it's okay!" Hilary says frantically, trying to wake Leighton up. The teen just continues screaming and crying, unable to be woken from her horrible nightmare. Hilary keeps shaking her, wanting to save her from her bad dream. She feels Leighton's clothes becoming drenched with sweat, but she doesn't know what to do. Maybe she should get one of the nurses. They usually know how to handle these situations.

"Please calm down." She says, holding Leighton down. She rubs Leighton's shoulder and her eyes fill with tears as the girl whimpers. She decides against getting a nurse. She doesn't want Leighton to wake up with a bunch of strange people around her. She has improved a lot lately and Hilary doesn't want any setbacks.

Suddenly, Leighton's eyes snap open. She whimpers again and struggles to sit up. Hilary pulls her into a hug and lets her sob.

"It's okay." She whispers, rubbing Leighton's back. "You're safe now."

* * *

><p>Allie mutters under breath as she paces around her room.. She cannot believe that her spied on her and CHandler. What is wrong with him? Normally, he's the coolest dad in the world, but he went crazy today. Doesn't he trust her at all? Why can't she have a nice guy friend without James getting all paranoid? Chandler is so sweet and Allie doesn't know why James doesn't see that. Allie is tired of him always trying to protect her. What if he tries to follow her to college? The thought of sharing a dorm with her dad really worries her. No college freshman shares a dorm with their parent.<p>

"Hey, you're making me dizzy." Mason tells her.

"Sorry." Allie says, sitting on her bed. "I'm just so mad at our father right now."

"I can't believe that he spied on your date." Mason laughs.

"It wasn't a date!" Allie whines. "We were practicing for the talent show!"

"From what I heard, dad caught you and Chandler by the lake."

"We were taking a break!" Allie argues. "I don't understand why dad can't trust me."

In the hallway, James is listening to Allie's complaining. He feels his heart sink with every word she is. He does trust her! He just...He doesn't even know. He wants her to grow up, but maybe he's scared that he won't need him anymore. Once Allie and Mason graduates, it'll just be James, Brianne, and Hadley. Mason wants to rent his own apartment at the Palm Woods, so he's going to moving out as well. To James, it's going to be weird having only three people in the house. He can still remember when Brianne announced her first pregnancy and now the twins are growing up.

He hesitates before knocking on the door, putting on a fake smile when Mason opens it.

"Hey, can I talk to your sister?" He asks.

"Good luck." Mason says before walking out of the room. James frowns before closing the door behind him, sighing sadly when he sees Allie. She looks incredibly angry and hurt, making him feel even worse. He should have listened to Brianne. She told him that spying on Allie was a stupid idea, but he didn't listen.

"Can I explain?" He asks.

"Go ahead." Allie says quietly.

"I know what I did today was wrong." He tells her. "It's just that I care about you. I'm worried that you'll fall in love with this guy and forget about me. I'm stressed because you're going to be graduating in a few months, you're growing up, and that scares me that you won't need me anymore."

Allie''s expression softens when she hears James confession.

"Oh, daddy." She says, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'll always need you. I may be growing up, but that doesn't mean that I don't need you anymore."

"I hope not." James says softly, kissing the top of her head.

"Why aren't you this protective of Hadley?" Allie asks him.

"Well, Hadley's still a sophomore." James explains. "She still has two more years before she graduates. Trust me, princess. When she gets closer to graduating, I'll start getting on her nerves too."

"DID YOU TWO MAKE UP YET?" Brianne and Hadley shout.

"YES!" James and Allie shout back.

"I love you, daddy." Allie whispers, hugging him.

"I love you too, baby girl." James says, returning the hug. "Hey, I think your mom made smoothies."

"Yeah." Allie giggles, following him out of the room.

When they enter the kitchen, they see that Brianne poured the Wild Berry smoothie into two glasses. She smiles as she hands one to each of them. She kisses James cheek and Allie's forehead before walking to the living room. She's glad that they finally made up. Allie can't stay mad for too long, especially not when it comes to her family. Her parents and siblings have peeved her off countless times, but she has never stayed mad for more than a few hours. When she gets mad, she just needs a few hours to cool off. After that, she's usually fine.

"Why are you so upset today?" She asks Hadley. She visited her boyfriend for about an hour, then she came home looking pretty peeved off.

"That jerk and I had another fight." Hadley says.

"About what?" Allie asks as she walks into the living room.

"His ex girlfriend wants to get back together." Hadley explains. "He's acting like it's not a big deal, but it's a very big deal to me!"

"Dump him and find another boyfriend." Mason suggests. Hadley responds by hitting him with a pillow. He manages to protect his face, since that's his most important physical feature. He wouldn't want to his face to get all banged up.

"Dad, I just need you to promise something." Allie tells James.

"What?" James asks nervously.

"Please don't spy on me again." Allie pleads.

"Okay." James sighs heavily. "I won't spy on you again."

* * *

><p><strong>Haha, this chapter was fun! Humor combined with hurtcomfort and cute family moments:)**

**Review!**


	24. Together

"Has anyone seen Hadley?" Camille asks, looking at her attendance sheet. It's another Monday at Hollywood Arts and everyone is here, except for Hadley. Usually, Allie tries to get her to class on time, so Camille is wondering why the youngest Diamond isn't here today. Camille saw her in the hallway before class and she looked like something was bothering her. She kept wiping her eyes and she looked kind of angry. Camille thought about asking her if she was okay, but decided against. Hadley would just insist that she was fine, so Camille didn't see the point of trying. Maybe she should get Allie to talk to the girl. Those two are pretty close, so Allie could surely get her sister to talk about whatever happened. Camille is a teacher that cares about her students. When she sees them acting different than they normally do, she gets concerned.

"No." The class says in unison.

"Um, Allie, could you find her?" Camille asks, still looking confused.

"Sure." Allie says before walking out of the room. She walks down the hallway and begins searching for her sister. She just doesn't know where Hadley could be. Suddenly, she thinks about the greenhouse. Hadley always goes there when she wants to be alone. Allie smiles at this realization, walking towards the back door. She walks towards the greenhouse, slowly opening the door. She breathes in the wonderful smell of flowers, listening to the quiet sniffles. She walks to the back of the greenhouse, gently pushing tree leaves out of the way, stopping when she sees Hadley sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest. Her cheeks are stained with tears and a few tears still linger in her hazel eyes. despite the obvious hurt in her eyes, her facial expression is blank. Her jaw is tightened, so she must be peeved off about something.

"Alright, why are you skipping class again?" Allie asks her sister.

"Why does it matter?" Hadley snaps quietly, playing with the sleeve of her black sweater. Allie frowns as she sits next to Hadley, watching her with worry. Allie has never seen Hadley act so hurt doesn't matter if she tries to hide it because her heartbreak is quite obvious.

"First of all, you could get suspended." Allie tells her. "Second of all, Camille and I are worried about you. You usually show up to her class, so it's weird that you weren't there today. Now I want you to tell me what happened. Don't tell me that nothing is wrong because you look like a miserable wreck.

"Jay dumped me." Hadley says, her voice cracking. "He decided to get back together with his ex girlfriend."

"What happened?" Allie asks her.

"I walked into the school and I saw him kissing this girl, so I confronted him. He just told me that they got back together and that it's over between us." Hadley whispers. "It wasn't the breakup that really hurt me. It was the way he acted when he did it. He didn't seem to care, you know? He wasn't even sad and it really hurt."

"Hey, there are other guys." Allie says softly, hugging her sister. "Jay is a jerk that doesn't deserve you."

Hadley snakes her head as she runs a hand through her dark brown hair.

"I'm serious." Allie says as she stands up. She helps Hadley up and they begin walking towards the exit. Both girls are silent as they walk back into the school and towards Camille's classroom. Allie gives Hadley a reassuring smile when they enter the classroom, returning to their seats. Camille mouths "Thanks" to Allie before beginning her lesson.  
>"We're going to play an alphabet game." She tells the class. "Allie and Morgan, why don't you girls come on up?"<p>

Morgan gives Allie a smirk, but to her surprise, Allie doesn't seem to be bothered. They walk onto the stage and face the audience. Allie has been working on overcoming her stage fright with Gustavo and he told her that these acting exercises should help her out. His advice was to see if she could get through the next acting exercise without getting nervous. He has been having her perform in front of her friends and family for practice. So far, it's been going pretty well. She's starting to improve as far as her performance skills go, but she could still use a little improvement.

"Morgan, you start." Camille instructs.

Morgan smirks again as she looks at Allie.

"Are you really blonde or did you get it bleached?"

"Brat." Allie retorts.

"Cause it looks pretty fake."

"Don't tell me that I'm fake when you look like you spent way too much money on your nose job." Allie responds, smiling proudly.

Morgan looks so offended by that comment.

"Every time you look at yourself in the mirror, it probably breaks."

"Freak." Allie responds.

"Go back to where you came from!" Morgan says angrily.

"How can I? I'm already here." Allie smiles.

"If I weren't such a nice person, I would pound your face in!" Morgan says, her voice getting even louder.

"Jerk."

"You make me sick!" Morgan shrieks.

"Morgan, you were suppose to say something that starts with K." Camille tells her. Morgan groans in frustration, returning to her desk. Allie smiles as she walks back to her own desk, sitting down. Morgan and Tara both high five her, giving Morgan satisfied grins. The drama queen glares at them and gives them a rude gesture before turning around. Hadley and Tara giggle quietly, getting satisfaction out of seeing Morgan squirm. After years of picking on less popular people, she got a taste of her own medicine. Allie may said some rude thing, but Morgan deserved it. She's a bully and every bully needs to get what they deserve.

"That was very...interesting." Camille says slowly. "Now get out some paper and a pencil. You're going to take notes on improv."

* * *

><p>During lunch time, Allie sits at her usual table with Tara and Hadley. Both girls are still talking about how Allie totally owned Morgan in class today. She wasn't trying own anyone. She really feels like she went too far. Sure, Morgan is mean, but Allie feels weird about the things that she said. She should be proud of herself before telling Morgan off in such a creative way, but she doesn't. it felt good at first, but her pride has turned into guilt. She's suppose to be a nice girl, not someone that tries to retaliate against her enemies. She doesn't even really care if Morgan is mean to her. She's going to be graduating in three months.<p>

She is about to eat a chicken nugget when two hands cover her eyes. She eats the nugget, then tries to figure out who might be blocking her eyesight. She puts her hands over the mystery hands, attempting to pull them away from her face. She turns around and comes face to face with Chandler. She crosses her arms and gives him a weird look.

"Hi?" She says. She slaps Tara's shoulder when the girl giggles.

"Come with me." Chandler says, grabbing her hand.

"My lunch!" Allie whines as she grabs her purse. "I haven't finished it!"

Chandler leads her into the building and down the hallway. They walk into the dance studio and he closes the door, grabbing an acoustic guitar that was leaning against the wall. He sits in one of the chairs and motions for Allie to sit next to him. He takes a music sheet out of his back pack, putting it on the music stand in front of him.

"I've been working on a new song and I think it could use some female vocals." He tells her. "Wanna try it out?"

"Okay." Allie says slowly.

**_("Together" by Demi Lovato and Jason Derulo)_**

As the song ends, they slowly lean into each other, kissing softly. The kiss is short but sweet, and they both love it. As Chandler pulls away from Allie, his forehead rests against hers. He lifts his hand to her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. When she rests her head on his shoulder, he kisses her head without hesitation.

"So..." Allie says carefully. "Does that make us..."

"I guess we're boyfriend and girlfriend now." Chandler says, shrugging. He puts the guitar down and leans in for another kiss. He slowly deepens the kiss, but the kiss ends when Allie quickly pulls away.

"Are you okay?" He asks worriedly.

"We just got together." Allie tells him. "I'm not ready to make out yet."

"And I respect that." Chandler says, hugging his new girlfriend. He carries the guitar across the room and puts it back against the wall before walking back over to Allie. He picks his back pack up, then wraps his arm around Allie's shoulders. He kisses her temple as they walk out of the studio.

"You know, I never really thought that we would end up together." Allie admits.

"Really?" Chandler asks in surprise.

"Yeah." Allie nods. "It's just that I was always annoyed with you and even after we started getting along, I just couldn't see it happening. I didn't really see myself as a girl that you would be interested in dating."

"Again with the stereotypes!" Chandler says in disbelief. "Just because i'm considered to be one of the popular guys, people expect me to date the popular girls. I don't want a popular girl. I just want a girl! A sweet, normal, down to earth girl. Girls like Morgan are considered popular girls and I can't stand them."

"I'm sorry." Allie says quietly. Great, they've only been together for five minutes and she's already got him mad at her.

"Hey, I'm not mad at you." Chandler says, giving her a hug. "I'm just tired of these cliques. Popular people hanging with popular people, nerds hanging out with other nerds, rockers hanging out with other rockers, I can't stand it. Who cares if people are a little different? Why can't we all just be friends?"

"I feel the same way." Allie agrees. "I so tired of high school drama. According to the popular crowd, you and I shouldn't even be seen together."

"Well, I personally don't give a chiz." Chandler tells her. "I'll date whoever I want."

"Are you gonna go to Prom?" Allie asks him, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Haven't really thought about it." Chandler says, squeezing her. "Seeing all these girls obsess over the whole prom queen thing is kind of annoying."

"Yeah." Allie laughs, smiling when Chandler kisses her.

"Oh my gosh!" A excited voice says. Allie and Chandler pull away, looking at Allie's friends and , Don, and Hadley are all standing there, watching the new couple. Tara has an excited smile on her voice, while Don and Hadley just look surprised. No one probably expected them to get together.

"Dad is gonna kill you." Hadley laughs.

"He doesn't need to know yet." Allie argues.

"Yeah." Chandler agrees. "He scares me and I don't want to get pounded into a pulp and thrown into the ocean."

Allie frowns as Chandler gulps, obviously deep in thought.

"Did my dad use that as a threat?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"Uh huh." Chandler squeaks.

"He's not gonna hurt you." Allie says, rolling her eyes.

"Who cares? My bestie has a boyfriend!" Tara yells, yelping when Hadley and Don slap her on each arm.

"Don't tell me dad, okay?" Allie warns them.

"Fine." Tara and Don mutter in unison.

"Thanks." Allie smiles as she and Chandler walk out to the Asphalt cafe. They return to Allie's table and she frowns when sees an empty container, which use to be filled with Allie's lunch. She's almost certain that Hadley ate her chicken nuggets. If Allie isn't there to eat her lunch, Hadley usually eats it for her.

"Aw." She says in disappointment.

"I'll buy you another serving." Chandler whispers before walking to the Grub Truck.

* * *

><p>Allie walks into her house with a happy smile on her face. After school, Hadley told Mason about Allie and Chandler, but Allie made him promise that he wouldn't tell James. She's going to tell him, but she wants to wait for the right time. She can't just walk up to him and say "Hey, I'm dating Chandler!" James doesn't like Chandler, so Allie needs to be careful when announcing their relationship to her family. Brianne would probably be okay with that,, maybe even excited, but James would probably throw a fit. Allie doesn't want to see him throw a fit right now. She just wants to enjoy her relationship with Chandler before telling her dad.<p>

"There's this big secret and I'm not even allowed to tell anyone?" Mason complains.

"Shhh!" Allie and Hadley whisper. Mason lets out a high pitched whine, following his sisters into the living room. They sit on the couch and Hadley turns the TV on, changing the channel to Hollywood Insider.

**"Brianne Rocque will be performing a concert at Club Nokia in only a week! On her official website, she announced that her opening act will be eighteen year old former Disney star Alaina Valentine. Valentine, who has become known for her wild behavior, reminds many of Brianne in her younger days. The 36 year old singer was once a hard partying bad girl until she went to rehab at the young age of nineteen. Now she has managed to ditch her bad girl image for a reputation as one of Hollywood's more tamed stars. She's not only known for her catchy tunes, but she has also starred in several films. We haven't seen a Brianne Rocque concerned in a while, but we will certainly looking forward to her Club Nokia show."**

"I can't believe Alaina Valentine is going to be her opening act." Mason says. "Maybe we can meet her."

"She probably has a bunch of security." Hadley tells him.

"But I'm sure we might get to meet her." Allie shrugs.

"Maybe you can bring Chandler." Hadley teases, laughing when Allie punched her arm.

"Hey, you're home!" Brianne says as she and James walk down the stairs.

"Yeah." Mason says nervously, gulping when Allie glares at him. Ugh, he hates keeping secrets.

"How was school?" James asks them.

"Great." The three teenagers say in unison.

"Are you kids okay?" Brianne asks them. "Allie, were those kids mean to you again?"

"Mom, no one was mean to me." Allie smiles, trying not to look secretive.

"Good." Brianne smiles before she and James walk into the kitchen. "I'm going to make dinner, okay? How doest teriyaki chicken sound?"

"Great!" Hadley says, staring at the TV.

"I'm gonna do some homework!" Mason says quickly before walking to his room.

"What's wrong with him?" James asks with confusion.

"He's just tired." Allie lies. He's just freaking out about their secret, but she trusts him. He promised that he wouldn't tell their dad about her and Chandler. He has never broken a promise to Allie before and he wouldn't start now. Really, she's going to tell James soon, but he wants to make sure that the time is right. Maybe when he's in a really good mood. If he's in a really good mood, he won't good too mad about her new boyfriend. Besides, he promised that he would trust her. He should be able to trust her to have a boyfriend without being irresponsible.

"Maybe you should tell him now." Hadley whispers through a smile.

"Shouldn't you be looking for a new boyfriend?" Allie asks her. Hadley's smile fades to a hurt look and Allie realizes her mistake.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." She says.

"Forget about it." Hadley mutters, crossing her arms.

Well, Allie finally got her first boyfriend today. Now she needs to find a way to tell James soon without him freaking out about it. How is she going to do that?

**Songs:**

**Together-Demi Lovato and Jason Derulo (Yeah, I've used a lot of Demi's new songs, but they're cool)**

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, Allie and Chandler are finally together! :D<strong>

**Anyway, there are more My Dilemma chapters to come, but I do have a new story idea. I won't start it until after My Dilemma is completed, though. Right now, I'm going to say that it's going to be different than the Round and Round series. It's another James story:) It's very dramatic and angsty with some romance. It's more serious and emotional. No one gets injured or anything, so don't worry! :)**

**Review this chapter! :D**


	25. The Truth Revealed

Allie is smiling as she puts some books in her locker. Since getting together with Chandler, she has been in a really good mood. James has been talking about how much happier she seems to be and when he asks why, she just tells him that she doesn't know. She isn't ready to tell him about her and Chandler yet. She needs more time to just enjoy her new relationship. She's going to tell James, but it isn't necessary to tell him now. He already hates Chandler and when he finds out that the guy is dating his daughter, he'll probably have a conniption. Brianne has told her stories about James when they were teenagers. At almost nineteen years old, when she was pregnant with Allie and Mason, James tried to beat up a photographer that was getting too close to Brianne. It was only because he didn't want them to hurt her or the babies. If he finds out that Allie is dating the guy that he hates, he'll go crazy. Even worse, he might make them break up. Breaking up with Chandler is the last thing that Allie wants to do. This is her first relationship and she doesn't want her dad to ruin it.

She is about to close her locker when two hands cover her eyes. She smiles because she already knows who it is. Her _boyfriend. _Wow, it feels so good to say that. Allie Diamond has a boyfriend. She has an incredibly sweet _and _hot boyfriend. She never thought that it would happen to her, but it's really happening. She's actually dating someone. How awesome is that?

"How were your classes today?" Chandler asks, hugging her from behind. Allie nearly melts as he kisses her cheek. When he squeezes her waist, she learns back against him. Chandler buries his face in her neck and her hand moves to his hair. His hair is really soft. It's almost like Mason's, but Mason has a tendency to go overboard with the hair products. Chandler doesn't seem to be too obsessed with his looks. He's just a regular guy and that's what Allie likes about him. He's not like a lot of the other guys at this school. He doesn't flirt with every girl he sees and he doesn't have to look at his reflection every five minutes.

"Pretty good." Allie says, smiling when Chandler gives her another squeeze. She turns around and lets Chandler kiss her. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and she wraps her arm around his waist. They begin walking to the dance studio. Before the enter the room, Chandler places a quick kiss on Allie's cheek. Hadley, Mason, Tara, and Don are the only ones that know about them, so they want to get their displays of affection out of the way before anyone else finds out.

Allie and Chandler walk to their seats, watching Morgan and her backup dancers perform. She looks like such a diva when she performs. She thinks she's the best performer at Hollywood Arts, but she's really not. Sure, she can sing and dance, but she's not the only talented performer in school. People like Hadley and Tara are very talented. Hadley is a singer and dancer, Tara is an actress, and Allie thinks that they are both better that Morgan. When they perform, they don't act like show offs. When Alicia and Leighton were still around, Morgan didn't act like this. She could be mean, but Leighton was the show off. Alicia was the queen bee and Morgan was just a follower. After Alicia died and Leighton went to rehab, Morgan started acting like the queen bee. Sadly, she's meaner than Alicia and Leighton were.

"Okay, that's enough for now." Camille says, turning the music off. "Chandler and Allie, let's practice your song."

Chandler and Allie get into position and wait for the music to start. Since no one can see Chandler's face, he sends a smile in Allie's direction. Allie resists the urge to giggle as the music begins playing.

**_("Hit The Lights" by Selena Gomez)_**

After two more hours of rehearsing, the students are allowed to go home. As soon as they've left the studio and the other students are gone, Allie and Chandler go back to acting like a couple. As they are walking towards the foyer, Chandler stands behind Allie and hugs her waist, kissing her cheek. She laughs as he squeezes her, refusing to let her go. She gets a surprise when he lifts her into his arms, spinning her around. Slowly, he stops spinning her and they begin looking into each other's eyes. Allie hesitantly puts her hand on his cheek, resting her forehead against his.

"Do you plan on putting me down yet?" She asks him.

"I'm thinking about it." Chandler says. Allie rolls her eyes,, amused at how cute he is. She is actually enjoying the feeling of him holding her. He has never done that before and she really likes it. The way he's looking at her makes it even more amazing. She doesn't understand how her dad couldn't like this boy. James has never tried to get to know Chandler. He just immediately judged him as being a player that will end up hurting Allie. He's not that kind of guy. He's sweet, caring, and Allie really likes him. Why is that so hard for James to believe?

"What are you thinking about?" Chandler asks as he puts her down.

"My dad." Allie sighs. "He doesn't want us to be together."

"But we are." Chandler says, grabbing her hands. "He'll just have to deal with it."

"Chandler, you don't know my dad." Allie tells him. "He's overprotective, crazy, and he hates the thought of me having a boyfriend."

"Hadley has a boyfriend." Chandler says, looking confused.

"Not anymore." Allie says, wrapping her arms around his waist. She sighs as he kisses the top of her head

"When are you going to tell your parents about us?" He asks her, rubbing her upper arms.

"I was thinking about telling my mom and letting her tell him." Allie says. "My mom doesn't have a problem with us, so I was hoping that she could convince him to accept our relationship."

"I hope so." Chandler tells her. "I really like you, Allie. I already told my mom about us and she's really happy. She thinks that you sound like a really sweet girl. I've had girlfriends before, but you're different. You're just so down to earth and that's what I want in a girl. It's what i've always wanted."

Allie's eyes fill with tears of hoy, but she doesn't let them fall. She doesn't want Chandler to think that she's a crybaby.

"I should be getting home." She says softly, kissing his cheek. She starts to work toward the exit, but Chandler grabs her hand and pulls her back. He pulls her into a long and passionate kiss. Her arms wrap around his back, pulling him closer to her. Just as the kiss stars to get deeper, Allie pulls away.

"Remember what I said about making out." She says, kissing him shortly.

"Right." Chandler sighs. Allie smiles and kisses his cheek before walking outside. Mason and Hadley are sitting in the yellow convertible, waiting for her. She gets into the front passengers seat and puts her back pack on the floor. She looks in the rearview mirror and notices that Hadley has a knowing smile on her face. The girl loves teasing Allie about her new boyfriend, even using the "Allie and Chandler kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." chant. It's annoying but Allie is starting to get use to it. She just wishes that her sister would take a break from teasing her and actually help her find a way to tell their dad.

"How's your new boyfriend?" Hadley asks.

"Great." Allie says calmly. "Now we need to figure out how to tell Dad. He hates Chandler, so I don't know what to do."

"Hey, just relax." Mason tells her. "We'll think of something."

* * *

><p>"Well, maybe we could..."<p>

"Let's face it! Dad is going to throw a fit."

"Mason, stop being so pessimistic."

The three siblings are whispering quietly as they walk into their house, Allie's really starting to freak out. She wants to be honest with her dad, but she doesn't want to lose Chandler either. He's the first guy that has taken an interest in her and she doesn't want it to end because James doesn't like the guy. If there was a way to make him see how wonderful Chandler is...Wait a minute...That's it!

"I have an idea!" Allie says happily. "I invite Chandler over and Dad can see how sweet and polite he really is."

"Nice." Hadley says, nodding in agreement.

Allie takes her cell phone out of her purse and begins dialing Chandler's number.

"Hey, be at my place in fifteen minutes." She tells her boyfriend. "I have a plan."

* * *

><p>"Allie, why am I here?" Chandler whispers as Allie grabs his hand.<p>

"Act really polite." She tells him. "If I were you, I would even suck up a little."

"Then I'll seem fake." Chandler argues.

"Do you want my dad to like you?" Allie asks, crossing her arms.

"Fine." Chandler mutters. At that moment, James and Brianne enter the living room. While Brianne gives Chandler a friendly and surprised smile, James looks annoyed at the sight of him in their house. When Brianne elbows him, he forces a smile onto his face, even though it looks really fake.

"Look who's here!" Allie says cheerfully. "I hope it's okay with you guys."

"Of course." Brianne says, looking at James. "Right, James?"

"Sure." James says, clearing his throat.

"Why don't I make some smoothies?" Brianne suggests.

Allie gives Chandler a look, silently telling him to speak up.

"Um, why don't I do it?" He asks in a polite voice. "I make really good smoothies."

"Oh, I can do it." Brianne says.

"Really, it's no problem." Chandler insists, walking into the kitchen. "Any particular flavor?"

"Surprise us." Brianne says sweetly.

Allie smiles at James, who gives her a nervous look. She suddenly feels really nervous. What if James just can't be convinced? Then she and Chandler will have to keep having a secret relationship. She really wants her family to know that she has a boyfriend and, you know, actually like him. If James can see Chandler's polite nature for himself, maybe he'll let Allie date Chandler.

"I went with strawberry banana." Chandler says, carrying a tray of small glasses into the room. He puts the tray on the coffee table and gives James the first glass. He watches nervously as James sips the smoothie, looking confused as James stares at the newly empty class.

"It's pretty decent." James nods.

"Okay." Chandler says through a smile. "Enjoy these, everyone."

"Chandler, these are delicious." Brianne tells him.

"Thanks, Mrs. Diamond."

* * *

><p>After three hours, Brianne absolutely adores Chandler. No one knows about James, though. He refuses to say anything about Chandler, whether it's good or bad. That's why Allie is starting to worry about telling him anything about her and Chandler. She needs to make sure that it's safe to say anything before she actually talks.<p>

"Hey, dad, Allie and Chandler have something to tell you." Hadley blurts out. Allie glares at her before giving James a nervous smile.

"What would that be?" James asks coolly, crossing his arms.

"Um, me and Chandler..."

"Allie, you're not pregnant, are you?" James asks sternly.

"Of course not!" Allie gasps. "Dad, Chandler and I are dating!"

The room is silent for a moment until James starts laughing. For a moment, everyone is a little confused by this. However, they start laughing along with him. He seems to be okay with it so far, so maybe Allie and Chandler can finally be more open about their relationship.

"That's funny." James chuckles. "How long?"

"Almost a week." Chandler says with a nervous laugh. That''s when James starts laughing harder, playfully nudging Brianne.

"Jay, are you okay?" Brianne asks worriedly.

"Of course!" James laughs, trying to catch his breath. "I just found out that these two have been dating for almost a week and never told me. Why wouldn't I be okay? This is great! Just great! Maybe even wonderful!"

"I know, right?" Chandler laughs.

"You're dating my daughter!" James suddenly yells. "I know what you want! You want to take my baby girl and turn her into trash."

Allie gasps at that comment. Trash? Is that really what he thinks? That really hurt her. James has never said anything like that before.

When James sees Allie's eyes fill with tears, he knows what he said was wrong. He feels even worse when she runs out of the room. He feels like the worst father off.

"Allie!" Chandler calls out, following his girlfriend.

When James looks at Brianne,Hadley, and Mason, they are all glaring at him. Oh yeah, he definitely screwed up. Why did he have to lose it like that? Allie obviously likes Chandler a lot, so James should at least try to accept the relationship. He has always wanted Allie to be happy and if Chandler makes her happy, he should be happy for her. When he saw how hurt she looked just a couple minutes ago, he realized what a jerk he's been. He just wants what's best for her, but he can't keep her from making her own decisions. As much as he hates to let her grow up, he knows that it has to happen.

"Sorry about that." He whispers. He sighs when he sees Brianne's look of disappointment.

"We're not the ones that need an apology."

**Songs:**

****Hit The Lights-Selena Gomez and The Scene****

* * *

><p><strong>*Sighs* That wasn't very nice, James<strong>

**Anyway, thanks for the amazing reviews! :)**


	26. Big Time Fight

Allie runs into her room and slams the door. She falls face first onto her bed and buries her face in the pillow, bursting into tears. She can't believe that James thinks that Chandler is going to turn her into trash. Those words that her dad said...They really hurt. Chandler is not a bad influence and Allie would never let someone influence her. She's tired of James treating Chandler badly and she's tired of his constant need to protect her. Why can't he accept that she's growing up? Why can't he see how much she likes Chandler? She finally gets her first boyfriend and her dad can't even accept the guy. Chandler is probably going to dump her now. What guy wants to date girl with a crazy family? Now he's probably afraid that James is going to kill him, so he might break up with Allie to save himself from being beaten into a pulp.

Someone knocks on the door, but she doesn't bother getting up. The door slowly opens and someone sits on the bed, rubbing her back. The person runs their fingers through her hair. She keeps crying and she hearts the mystery person kiss her temple. She slowly rolls onto her back and looks up at Chandler. His eyes are filled with sympathy and concern. She sits up and throws her arms around his neck, crying softly. Chandler wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her shoulder, whispering comforting words to the girl. As she pulls away, he strokes her cheek and gives her a gentle kiss.

"Hey, your dad was just shocked." He whispers. "I don't think he meant to hurt you."

"Doesn't he care about how I feel?" Allie cries. "Why can't he be happy that i've found a guy that I really like? Why is it so hard for him to see the good in you?

"I don't know." Chandler sighs, kissing her cheek. He lays down and pulls Allie down, watching as she rests her head on his chest. He plays with her hair, listening to her sad whimpers. He wraps his arms around her and squeezes her, feeling incredibly bad about what happened.

Allie finally stops crying and lifts her head up, moving so that her dace is right above Chandler's. She sniffles as he wipes her tears away with his thumb, hesitating before kissing him softly. He deepens the kiss, but she doesn't stop him this time. She straddles his waist and continues kissing him. She shivers as Chandler rests his hands on her sides, but she doesn't flinch away. She runs her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss even more. She gasps as Chandler rolls them over, continuing the passionate kiss. This whole make out thing is so new to Allie, but she kinda enjoys it. Chandler is a really good kisser and Allie just had her first kiss a few days ago.

Knock! Knock!

Chandler and Allie quickly sit up, making their hair look tame again. Allie gets the suddenly urge to hug Chandler, so she does. The door slowly opens and James appears in the doorway. Chandler gulps and tightens his arms around Allie's waist, feeling afraid of the tall man. Maybe Allie can protect him.

Allie sniffles as she pulls away from Chandler, giving James an angry look.

"Are you gonna tell him to get his hands off me?" She snaps.

"Allie, I just want to talk to you alone" James says calmly. Allie sighs as she looks at Chandler, who nods and kisses the top of her head before leaving the room. James closes the door and sits next to Allie, frowning when she scoots away from him. Wow, she has never been this mad at him before. They've always been so close, but he totally ruined it. It's not that he doesn't want her to have a boyfriend. It's just that she has never had a boyfriend before. James is frightened by the thought of her being in a romantic relationship. However, he knows that he needs to calm down. She seems to really like Chandler and James should be happy for her. He just hopes that she'll forgive him for his hurtful words. Sadly, he doesn't know if she will. She looks so hurt right now and he's feeling worried.

"Hey, I'm sorry." He says, reaching out to her. When she scoots away again, his heart sinks. What kind of a father is he? Seeing Chandler kiss Allie on the head...It reminded James of him and Brianne when they were teenagers. His parents thought that Brianne was a little wild, but they didn't have a problem with her and James dating. Why should it be any different with Chandler and Allie? He wishes that he could change the past, but he can't. He messed up tonight and there's nothing that he can do about it. He can apologize to Allie, but she might not accept it.

"I like him, dad." Allie says. "I know that you don't, but I don't care. He's a really sweet guy, okay? It doesn't matter if you like him or not. I do."

"I know." James whispers.

"Whatever." Allie says, standing up. "I'm gonna get ready for bed."

James sighs as Allie leaves the room. He officially feels like the worst dad ever.

* * *

><p>The next morning, things are really awkward in the Diamond household. They eat breakfast as a family, but Allie refuses to speak to James. They just sit at the table, avoiding each others gaze while the others awkwardly eat their own meals. It's really weird not hearing them talk to each other. James didn't even bother saying goof morning to his oldest daughter. Even if he did, Allie probably wouldn't have acknowledged him. She's never been so angry with him before. Brianne is kind of worried because she doesn't want Allie to stay mad at James. Yes, he screwed up, but she shouldn't keep ignoring him.<p>

"Mom, Chandler is going to take me to school today." Allie says quietly.

"Okay." Brianne says softly. A car is heard outside. Allie eats the rest of her egg, then grabs her back pack and walks outside. She sighs as she gets into the front passengers seat of Chandler's truck. She puts her back pack on the floor and rests her head against the window. She looks at Chandler when he affectionately rubs her shoulder.

"Still mad at your dad?" He asks her.

"I haven't spoken to him since yesterday." Allie tells him.

"Everything will be okay." Chandler says as he drives down the street. Allie rests her head on his shoulder, feeling bad for giving James the silent treatment. But he totally humiliated her last night. Doesn't he deserve the silent treatment? Yeah, he's her father, but that doesn't mean that he had the right to embarrass her in front of Chandler. She was very hurt by his behavior and he deserves a couple days of silent treatment from Allie. She may feel kinda bad about it, but he needs to deal with her new relationship. He may not like it, but Allie isn't going to break up with Chandler just because James doesn't like him.

* * *

><p>After taking Hadley and Mason to school, James went back home. As soon as he got back to the house, he collapsed onto the couch. Right now, he's just laying on the couch, feeling incredibly depressed. Brianne is washing dishes in the kitchen, but she hasn't spoken to James. He's already getting the silent treatment from Allie. He doesn't need it from his wife. He doesn't want to feel any worse that he already does. He could really use a hug and kiss from Brianne. She is usually really good at making him feel better when he's upset.<p>

He looks up as Brianne finally walks back into the living room. At first he thinks that she really is ignoring him, but he is proven wrong when she sits on the couch and strokes his face. She pushes his bangs away from his face and he sighs sadly. His daughter hates him and he doesn't know what to do. How can he make it up to her? How can he repair their relationship? He just wants his baby girl to love him again. As he thinks about this, he feels his eyes burn with unshed tears. He won't let them fall, though. He isn't about to cry over something like this. He just needs to fix it.

"Are you okay?" Brianne asks him, stroking his cheek.

"Not really." James says quietly. "Brie, Allie hates me."

"Baby, she doesn't hate you." Brianne whispers, kissing his cheek. "She's just hurt because you don't approve of her guy. I know it's hard to see her grow up, but you need to let her. Everyone has to grow up eventually, honey."

"She really likes this guy." James whispers. "I think it's great, but i just don't want to lose her."

"You know what I don't understand?" Brianne asks him.

"What?" James asks softly.

"Why you're so protective of Allie, but not Hadley." Brianne tells him. "She goes out with guys, but you don't freak out as much."

"Hadley is different." James says, sitting up. "Even when I've tried to stop her from dating a certain guy, she still goes out with him. Why should I try to stop her if she's not gonna listen to me?"

"Jay, you shouldn't give up." Brianne whispers, kissing him. "Honestly, I think she gets jealous because she feels like you care about Allie than her."

"Did she say that?" James asks worriedly. He never wanted to neglect Hadley. He doesn't favor one kid over the other. He loves all three of his children. There are no favorites. Sure, he may be a little more protective of Allie, but she's his first daughter and he's having a hard time letting her grow up.

"No, she didn't actually say that, but I can tell." Brianne says gently. "When she sees you giving Allie attention, she gets this look in her eyes. It's kind of a combination of hurt and jealousy."

How could James have never noticed this before? In an attempt to protect Allie, he forgot about his other daughter. He feels even worse now. Not only did he infuriate Allie, but he's been neglecting Hadley. He wakes her up in the mornings, ask her how her day went, but he knows that he's started to slack off since this whole Allie and Chandler situation started. He can't stand the thought of both Allie and Hadley being angry with him. It's bad enough to have one girl mad, but two angry girls is bordering on torture, especially when those two girls are family.

"I'm a terrible father, right?" James says sadly.

"No, you're not." Brianne says, kissing him softly. "You're such a great dad, Jay."

James nods slowly, letting Brianne pull him into a hug.

* * *

><p>"He thinks that Chandler is going to turn you into trashy skunk bag?" Tara asks as she and Allie walk into the library. Allie has to do some research for an English report. They had to pick a topic from the list and write about it. Tara just feels like playing computer games. But that isn't what Allie is really thinking about. She's thinking about Chandler and her dad. She just doesn't know how she's going to get James to like her boyfriend. She could always make them spend the day together, but she doesn't even know if that would work. James can't stand Chandler and Allie doesn't know if she can change his opinion.<p>

"Apparently." Allie says as they approach the computers, sitting down. They log into the computers and click on the internet icon. Before Allie goes to Google, she turns to look at Tara. "I don't understand what he doesn't like about him. Chandler is a really sweet guy. He's very likable, so I don't know why my dad can't see that.

"That's how dad's are." Tara says, typing something into the internet browser. "My dad threw a fit when he saw me flirting with some guy at Disney World. He wouldn't leave me alone for the rest of the trip. Allie, dads are always protective of their daughters. He's just trying to be a good father. I think..."

"I guess you're right." Allie sighs. "I just want to be able to date Chandler with my family's approval."

"They'll get use to it." Tara says, patting her shoulder.

"Jay, stop."

Allie and Tara look around when they hear a familiar voice. Without hesitating, they walk past the bookcases and towards the back of the library. Jay has Hadley pushed against the wall, trying to kiss her. Every time she pulls away, he grabs arm and yanks her closer to him. She tries to push him away, but he's obviously too strong for her.

"You dumped me, remember?" Hadley says, trying to get out of his grip. She tries walking under his arm, but cries out in pain when he grabs her arm and pushes her back against the wall.

"Hey!" Allie yells, walking over to them. Tara's eyes widen in shock. There's no way that Allie could take this guy. She's short and skinny, while he's tall and muscular. What if he tries to hurt her?

"Allie, just leave." Hadley says through gritted teeth, still trying to pull her arm out of Jay's grip.

"This is your sister?" Jay asks, letting go of her arm. She falls to the floor and Tara rushes to her side. They both look at Jay, who is advancing toward Allie. They gasp as he grabs Allie's waist, pulling her against him. She tries to push him away, but his grip around her waist tightens. She tries to call for help, but he puts his other hand over her mouth.

"You're gonna be quiet, okay?" He whispers. Allie nods and Jay smiles with satisfaction, removing his hand from her mouth. As soon as he lets go, Allie screams at the top of her lungs. This angers Jay because he grabs her arm and pushes her against the wall. Tears are starting to roll down her cheeks and both Hadley and Tara are starting to get seriously peeved off.

"Jay, just leave her alone!" Hadley snaps.

"Shut up!" Jay yells.

Suddenly, loud footsteps are heard. Jay throws Allie down and turns around. When he does, a fist makes contact with his face. Hadley sits next to Allie and wraps her good arm around her sister, looking up at Chandler. He grabs the front of Jay's shirt and forces him to the ground, throwing a few more punches. The fight comes to an end when two of the school's coaches pull Chandler off Jay.

"What's going on?" Coach Hansen asks sternly.

"He was abusing my girlfriend!" Chandler yells.

"Young man, is this true?" Coach Brandon asks Jay.

"What? No!" Jay says nervously.

"Yes, it is!" Tara says as she helps Hadley and Allie up. She grabs Hadley's right arm and pulls up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing black and blue skin. "He was trying to hurt Hadley and Allie tried to stop him, so he started pushing and shoving her around! Chandler was hitting him for a good reason! If he hadn't thrown the punches, Jay would have hurt Allie!"

"Hmm." Coach Hansen says. "Well, I want all five of you to go to the principals office. Principal Sanders needs to hear about this."

* * *

><p>The five teenagers sit across from Principal Sanders. He is about forty six years old with dark brown hair and a fairly well built figure. He has a stern expression, which he seems to be directing at Jay. He saw the bruising on Hadley's arm and that is a huge indication that Jay started the fight. Chandler and the girls are hoping that he believes them.<p>

"Miss Garcia, tell me what happened." Principal Sanders says, looking at Tara.

"Me and Allie were at the computers when we heard Hadley begging Jay to stop. We were concerned, so we went to check on her. Well, Jay had her pinned against the wall and he kept trying to kiss her against her will. Every time she tried to get away, he would basically slam her against the wall. He was also gripping her arm really tight. Allie tried to stop him, so he let Hadley go and went after Allie. She screamed for help and Chandler showed up and punched him. It was necessary, though! When Chandler punched him, he let Allie go."

"Uh huh." Principal Sanders say as he writes something on his notepad. "Well, my secretary called your parents. Jay, I'm afraid we will have to suspend you."

Jay glares angrily and Chandler gives him a satisfied look.

"Wait, why call our parents?" Hadley asks.

"They need to be informed of the incident." Principal Chandler explains.

Chandler, Allie, Hadley, and Tara all look at eacb other, thinking the same sarcastic thought.

_Great, our parents are gonna get involved. _

* * *

><p>"Unbelievable!" James yells as he follows Carlos, Jessica, Brianne, and Chandler's mom into the school. They all got a call saying that their son or daughter had been involved in a fight. All they know is that Hadley's jerk of an ex boyfriend was abusing her and a fight got started. James is beyond angry. He's infuriated that someone would actually try to hurt his kids. If Brianne agrees with him, he's going press charges against this guy. No one hurts his family and gets away with it. Chandler was involved in some way, but James doesn't know exactly how. He's gonna find out, though.<p>

"Oh my gosh, I hope that Tara's okay." Jessica says as they walk into the school office. They are directed to this principals office and when they get there, they are shocked. Lucy Stone and another man are talking to Principal Sanders. They must be Jay's parents. James didn't even know that Lucy was married with children. All he knows is that she;'s been on tour with Vampirah for the past two months.

"James Diamond?" Lucy says in surprise.

"Yeah." James says with a fake smile. "Where is your son?"

"Oh, they sent the kids to another room." Lucy explains. "Don't worry. Someone is watching them."

"Principal Sanders, what happened?" Chandler's mom asks worriedly.

"Mrs. Hale, Lucy's son was being physically abusive to Hadley and Allie, so Chandler stepped in." Principal Sanders explains.

"You see?" Brianne exclaims, looking at James. "He was trying to defend our daughters!"

Okay, now James feels really stupid.

"It was probably that trashy daughter of theirs that started." Lucy's husband says.

"Jack!" Lucy snaps.

"It's funny that my daughters are the ones with the bruises on their arms." James says, getting in his face.

"You just watch it." Mr. Tough Guy says, glaring at James.

"Hey!" Carlos laughs nervously. "Let's just sing a song! That always cheers me up! Here's a good one!"

Jessica groans as her husband starts singing.

**_("Sarcastically" by Lucy Hale)_**

"CARLOS!" Jessica yells, slapping him behind the head.

"Mr. Garcia, please watch your language." Principal Sanders warns.

"Sorry." Carlos whispers.

"I think that song was written for you." James tells Mr. Tough Guy.

Principal Sanders groans quietly. It's times like this that he thinks about retiring early. In the years that he has worked out Hollywood Arts, he has met some of the craziest people.

"Let's just go and find our kids." Brianne says sternly, leading James out of the office. They walk farther down the hallway until they reach a small waiting room. Each teen, except for Jay, is pulled into a hug by their parents. Lucy just gives Jay a stern look, motioning for him to follow her. Once Lucy, Jay, and Daddy JerkFace are gone, the questions begin.

"Are you guys okay?" Brianne asks, hugging Allie and Hadley. "What happened?"

"Mom, Chandler protected us." Hadley says. They all look at Chandler, who smiles and waves awkwardly.

"Jay, do you have something to say to Allie's _boyfriend_?" Brianne asks her husband.

"Fine." James mumbles. "Chandler, thank you for helping my daughters."

"Anything else?" Allie asks him.

"I'm sorry for being so rude to you." James says quietly.

"And..." Allie says slowly.

"What else do you want me to say?" James asks in confusion.

"About me and Chandler!" Allie exclaims.

"You can date!" James says quickly.

Allie smiles happily as she throws her arms around Chandler's neck, kissing him passionately. James groans but doesn't say anything.

"Alright, let's get you kids home." Carlos says, wrapping his arm around Tara.

"Hey, that guy is getting suspended, right?" Jessica asks them.

"Yeah." Hadley says, pressing an ice pack against her bruised arm.

With that, everyone sighs in relief and walks out of the room.

**Songs:**

**Sarcastically-Lucy Hale (From A Cinderella Story)**

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, dramatic chapter...*Coughs* Yeah...You know, it was fun to write:) Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed it! <strong>

**Review! :D **


	27. Recovering

Well, Allie has a boyfriend now. James finds himself being very appreciative of Chandler for protecting the girls. If it weren't for him, they could have been hurt a lot worse than they are. Hadley just got a little bruising on her back and arm, so she just has to apply some ice. Allie has some bruising on her back and arm as well Luckily, those are the only injuries. Tara didn't get hurt at all, so that's good. James can't believe that he thought Chandler was a jerk. When Allie was in trouble, he was there to protect her. In James opinion, that makes Chandler a really great person. Since he proved that he cares about Allie, James is going try and accept their relationship. As much as hurts to see her grow up, it has to happen eventually. She's going to graduate from high in just a little more than two months and she's gonna go to college. He doesn't want to lose his little girl, though. Really, it's so hard for him to see her as an almost grown woman. To him, she's always going to be his baby girl.

Of course, he still has one baby girl that won't be moving out for two more years. Hadley may be a little troublemaker, but she's not all bad. down anyone that messes with her friends or family. James is amazed that she didn't attack Jay before Chandler did. Then again, Jay is about six feet tall and Hadley is only five foot six. All James knows is that he's going to start paying attention to her again. Since Allie started spending time with Chandler, he probably has been neglecting Hadley a little bit. He's going to make it up to her, though. In the Diamond household, there are no favorites.

While Allie and Hadley are resting, James is watching some hockey with Mason. You know, father/son bonding time. Brianne is going back and forth between taking care of Allie and taking care of Hadley. Both girls are still a bit shaken up by the incident. No surprise there! A real man would never do what Jay did. James knew that Hadley had been dating the guy, but he didn't know that Jay was an abusive person.

"Dad, I just wanna say that when Jay comes back to school in three weeks, I'm going to destroy him." Mason says, never taking his eyes off the TV.

"It's not worth it, bud." James says. "He'll get what he deserves. I don't want you to get yourself in trouble. Someone else will end up beating him down."

"I hope so." Mason says, shaking his head. The thought of someone messing with his sisters makes him so angry. If it were possible for him to beat Jay up without any consequences, he wouldn't even hesitate. When he came home and found out that Jay had basically beaten Allie and Hadley, he felt his blood boiling. His poor baby sisters are hurt because Hadley's ex boyfriend decided that he wanted to get back together with Hadley. Apparently, he got angry when she said no, so he started shoving her around and trying to force himself on her. He really should go to prison for what he did.

"Brie, how are they doing?" James asks when Brianne enters the room.

"They're okay." Brianne says, sitting next to him. She kisses him softly, giggling when Mason groans loudly and rolls his eyes. She kisses James again, laughing when Mason groans again. He gets so weirded out when she and James kiss or make out. After a couple more kisses, she moves to sit between James and Mason. She gives Mason a hug and kisses his cheek. At first he just rolls his eyes, but he finally gives in and rests his head on her shoulder. She frowns as he closes his eyes. The poor guy must be tired. Between being at school all day and worrying about his sisters, he's probably exhausted.

"Sweetie, why don't you lay down?" She says, stroking his cheek.

"Yeah." Mason sighs. Brianne puts a pillow on her lap and Mason lays down. Brianne runs her fingers through his brown hair, smiling down at her son. He's so adorable when he's tired. He reminds her of James. Those two are so alike in so many ways. They are obsessed with hair and skin products, are total ladies men, and are adorable. Brianne's happy to have both a son and her two daughters.

James smiles as Mason starts to fall asleep on Brianne's lap.

"Hey, I'm gonna check on the girls." He says, kissing Brianne's head before walking down to Allie and Mason's room. When he enters the bedroom, Allie is laying on her bed with an ice pack on her arm. He sits on the edge of the bed and gently runs his fingers through his hair. He can't believe that anyone would do this to his girls.

"Are you feeling okay?" He whispers. "Do you need another ice pack?"

"No." Allie sighs. "Hey, daddy?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"I miss Chandler." Allie whines.

James chuckles as he kisses her forehead.

"You two are still in the honeymoon stage?" He grins, ruffling her hair.

"We're not even married!" Allie argues. "And we've only been dating for a few days."

"Princess, it's just an expression." James says with a laugh. "I'm gonna check on Hadley, okay?"

"Okay." Allie says quietly.

James kisses her forehead before leaving the room. He walks through the living room and up the stairs. He walks into Hadley's room and sees Hadley laying on her left side. She looks kinda depressed and James feels his heart breaking. He knows that Jay's behavior probably shocked her.

"Hey." He whispers, sitting on her bed. "Are you okay?"

"I always knew he was a jerk, but I never thought that he would do something like this." Hadley whispers weakly. "When we were dating, he was obnoxious but never abusive. He never hit me, he never slapped me, and he never pushed me around. I thought that he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend, so I don't know why he wanted me back."

"He's messed up." James whispers, stroking her cheek.

"I was scared, dad." Hadley whispers tearfully. "I hate to admit it, but I was scared. I was in the back of the library, when he walked up to me and asked me to take him back. I said no and he grabbed my arm and yanked me out of my seat. I started freaking out a little bit, but I didn't think that he would do anything. Then he shoved me against the wall and started kissing him. Every time I pushed him away, he would grab me and push me against the wall. And he would push me really hard and it hurt. I was in pain and he didn't even care. Then Allie and Tara showed up. Dad, as soon as he saw Allie, he dropped me and went after her. He started doing the same thing that he had been doing to me. Allie kept screaming and Chandler finally showed up and started punching Jay. After that, a couple of the school coaches stopped the fight."

Tears are streaming down her face as she relives the horrible experience. James looks sympathetic as he wipes the tears away. He's never seen her in such a vulnerable state before. He doesn't even know if he's seen her cry before. She did when she was a baby, but that doesn't count.

He lays next to her and pulls her into a hug. When she rests her head on his chest, he begins running his fingers through hair. He feels his shirt quickly becoming soaked with her tears, but he doesn't mind at all. She needs to cry. She needs to get it all out of her system. He doesn't want her to hold it in.

He hears footsteps coming up the stairs. When he looks up and sees Allie standing in the doorway. She looks like she's in pain, but she mostly looks concerned. James motions for her to join him and Hadley on the bed. He smiles softly as she lays on his other side, snuggling up to him. She stairs at her sister, who is sobbing quietly. She reaches out and strokes Hadley's cheek, wiping the tears away. She drapes her arm over her sister and watches her with sadness.

James kisses their heads and keeps his arms wrapped around them. He can hear the distant sound of the front door opening, followed by some concerned voices. He keeps his attention of Allie and Hadley, affectionately rubbing his younger daughters back. Allie is trying to comfort her too, whispering quietly.

"Hey, could you let me get up?" He asks softly. "I think we have visitors."

Both girls move so James can climb off the beds. Before walking out of the room, he kisses their foreheads. He walks out of the room and down the stairs.

Once their dad is gone, Hadley gets closer to Allie and buries her face in her sister's shoulder. Allie wraps her arm around Hadley and hugs her tightly. It's kinda scary to see her like this. She's usually the strong one and seeing her break down like this really worries Allie. She may be older, but she has always admired Hadley for her strong nature. That's why Hadley is popular and Allie isn't. Hadley will speak her mind whether anyone likes it or not, while Allie just sits in the back of the classroom and tries to stay unnoticed. She wishes that she could be more like Hadley.

"Hey, it's okay." She whispers.

"He never beat me when we were dating." Hadley says, trying to stop crying. She wipes her tears away and takes a few shaky breaths.

"I know." Allie says, rubbing her upper arm.

"Sorry for having a stupid meltdown." Hadley sighs quietly.

"Hey, it wasn't a meltdown." Allie giggles. "If you want to see a meltdown, look at Alaina Valentine. That girl is in the middle of a major meltdown."

"Hey, her career is at an all time high." Hadley argues, smiling.

"Let's see how she's doing in a few more years." Allie tells her, smiling whenever Hadley laughs.

* * *

><p>"Are you gonna press charges?" Kendall asks James and Brianne. They are all sitting at the dining table, talking about the horrible incident. Kendall, Jo, Logan, and Camille all came as soon as they heard about what happened. Camille had already left work for the day, so she didn't get to hear about the incident right away. They all got the same phone call from James, who informed them that Hadley's ex boyfriend had tried to hurt the girls and that Chandler had defended them. Luckily, Chandler isn't gonna get in trouble, since Hadley and Allie were in danger.<p>

"He got suspended for three weeks." Brianne says as she hands glasses of tea to their visitors. "We're not gonna press charges."

"Brie, that guy hurt Allie and Hadley." Jo says in disbelief, bouncing Maddie on her lap. The baby girl squeaks and puts her fist in her mouth. Jo hands her to James, who smiles and kisses Maddie's cheek.

"I think Chandler taught him a lesson." Brianne says as she sits down, drinking her tea.

"Okay, I don't think getting beat up by Allie's boyfriend is gonna..." Logan starts to say.

"You know who Jay's mom is?" James questions. They all look at him with curiosity. "Lucy Stone."

"Lucy Stone? Hot rocker Lucy Stone? That Lucy?" Logan asks in surprise.

"Uh huh." James nods.

"Is she still hot?" Kendall asks, yelping when Jo punches his arm.

"Oh yeah." James smiles. "In fact, I think she's gotten even hotter."

"Oh my gosh." Camille groans, resting her forehead on the table.

"You know, I'm gonna ask Kayla to prom." Mason says randomly.

"Don't embarrass yourself." Kendall warns him. "And try ask her in a really creative way. Girls love creativity."

"Like what?" Mason asks.

"Buy some flowers and attach a note asking her to the prom." Logan suggests.

"That's actually really good idea." James agrees.

"Or you could a note that says "This note will self destruct if you don't go to prom with me."

"Let me guess who that one came from." Kendall says as they all look towards the staircase. Hadley is standing their, having returned to her usual comedic behavior. James is happy to see her being her usual self again. Normally, he would roll his eyes, but after seeing her cry, it's good to see her acting like her normal self. It so weird seeing her break down. She always acts like she's too cool to cry. He was definitely proven wrong tonight. Hadley The Crazy Bad Girl actually has feelings. Wow, that's a relief. He was starting to get worried. Really, he's been questioning her sanity for years.

"You're okay!" Jo says happily, wrapping her arms around Hadley.

"Um, yeah." Hadley says slowly. "I'm great."

"Are you girls sore? Do I need to get some ice packs? Do you need to go the emergency room?" Logan rambles, finally stopping when Camille pats his shoulder.

"We're fine." Allie says.

"Hey, tell us about that new boyfriend of yours."Jo says excitedly.

"He's really cute, he's smart, funny, protective, and just really fun to be around." Allie says dreamily. "He's a singer, dancer, and actor. We're performing a duet in the talent show."

"She also said that he's a great kisser." Hadley adds.

"I can see that you're feeling better." Allie says flatly, giving James a nervous smile. As soon as Hadley said "Great kisser", James got this weird look on his face.

"I can't wait to see that talent show." Kendall tells them. "It sounds like it's a pretty big deal."

"Uncle Kendall, the End OF THe Talent Show is bigger than Prom!" Allie says. "And Prom is a pretty big deal at Hollywood Arts."

"Jo and I already got our tickets." Kendall tells them.

"Hadley, are you gonna go to Prom?" Jo asks.

Hadley looks thoughtful for a moment. At Hollywood Arts, Prom is really for juniors and seniors. Freshmen and Sophomores can only go if they are invited to go with a Junior or Senior. Hmmm...Well, she could always sneak in like she did last year. But that didn't turn out so well. Security found her and they kicked her out. So she came home in one of her mom's old dresses and had to explain what she was doing at Prom in the first place. Needless to say, she was grounded for two weeks. The principal also warned her that she better come with a Junior and Senior date next time or be suspended. Getting suspended is the last thing she wants to do. He parents would kill her and she happens to like Hollywood Arts. She would hate to get suspended because Hollywood Arts is actually a really fun school. Before she came to Hollywood Arts in seventh grade, she attended a regular public school and it was so boring.

"I don't know." Hadley says awkwardly. "I don't have a date yet."

"And if you don't get one, you are not going to sneak in." Brianne says sternly.

"Okay." Hadley says quietly.

"I remember when she tried to sneak into Prom." Don says as he returns from the restroom. "I went with this totally hot junior girl and was lucky enough to witness Hadley being dragged outside by security. It was the most hilarious thing that I've ever seen. I just can't believe that Allie didn't go. Really, Allie, you should've been there. She kept screaming that she had every right to be here and that they can't kick her out."

"Yeah, let's not discuss it." Hadley says quickly.

"You weren't invited, so you weren't suppose to be there." James says, ruffling her hair.

"I was bored and Mom wouldn't let me go to that new teen club." Hadley says, crossing her arms.

"Sweetie, they may say there's no alcohol, but people can sneak it in." Brianne whispers.

"Well, that's stupid." Hadley pouts. "Man, I can't wait until I turn twenty one."

"Hadley Grace Diamond!" James exclaims.

"Alcohol can be dangerous." Brianne scolds.

"Yeah, you could end up in rehab like your mom did." Kendall warns her. He smiles nervously when Brianne gives him a look.

Brianne rolls her eyes. Her experience in rehab was really weird. At first it was kinda depressing, but it got even worse when she realized how unpopular she was. She only made a couple friends and the other patients just ignored her. Chelsie and Hadley (Yes, she named her daughter after her rehab buddy) were her only friends. Once she was moved to a sober house, she was completely alone because her housemates were not very nice. They thought that she was faking her addiction for publicity, which wasn't true at all. She had a serious problem and she was there to fix it. By the time she got out of there, she was ready to go crazy because she had been dealing with those girls for too long. Who accuses an alcoholic of faking their addiction? She's pretty sure that she wouldn't have been in rehab if her addiction was fake. Just because someone is a celebrity, it doesn't mean that they do e_verything _for publicity.

"Thanks for bringing that up, Kendall." She says quietly.

"Hey, I'm just saying." Kendall says, lifting his hands in defense.

"Hadley, I wouldn't drink if I were you." James says as he hands Maddie to Kendall. He stands behind Brianne and wraps his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek.

_Riiiing!_

"Hello?" Brianne says, answering her cell phone.

"What song was that?" Logan asks her.

"Shhh!" Brianne says before speaking into the phone. "Rehearsal tomorrow? Walter! I've been rehearsing almost every day. Really? I have to meet that psychotic monster? Yeah, I know that wasn't nice, but what do you expect me to say? Alaina Valentine is such a joy and I can't wait to meet her. What if she destroys Starstruck Records? What about your collection of platinum records? Do you want her to destroy that? How do you know that she _won't _do that? Walter, I'm telling you that she's crazy! Walter! Walter, she belongs in the loony bin! That girl needs to be sent to the funny farm before she gets us all killed! WALTER! Come on, Walter. Do I have to? Okay, fine! BYE!"

She hangs up, putting her cell phone on the table. She groans in frustrations and covers her face with her hands. There is an awkward silence and she slowly removes her hands, realizing that everyone is staring at her. Okay, she didn't mean to cause a scene or anything.

"You okay?" James asks her.

"I have to rehearse for my Club Nokia concert and I have to meet my wonderful opening act."

"Ooh, can I come?" Mason says hopefully.

"Honey, you have school tomorrow." Brianne says tiredly, rubbing her temples.

"And we have rehearsal after school." Camille reminds him.

"I could skip." Mason suggests hopefully.

"You're not skipping school and rehearsal." James says, squeezing Mason's shoulder.

"Seriously, what ringtone was that?" Kendall asks.

"My upcoming single." Brianne tells him. "All Night Long."

"Sounds good." Logan tells her.

"Thanks." Brianne says, drinking some more of her tea.

"Camille, could we get Alaina to make an appearance at our talent show?" Hadley asks. "Weren't you and Mrs. Hartley looking for a celebrity guest?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if we should let Alaina Valentine is the right one." Camille says carefully. "From what she's heard, Alaina Valentine shouldn't even be allowed to go out in public without supervision. All of the magazines say that she's very unstable. Camille doesn't want any unstable people at the talent show.

"Why? I think people would love it if she made an appearance." Allie says.

"Look, I'll think about it, but no promises." Camille says calmly.

Yeah, let a crazy popstar come to their talent show. Oh yeah, that'll happen.

That was sarcasm. There's no way that Camille is letting Alaina Valentine anywhere near the talent show.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	28. The Concert

"So this is what the backstage of a concert looks like." Chandler says, keeping his arm around Allie's shoulders.

"Uh huh." Allie says nonchalantly. She kisses him as they walk to the stairs leading to the top of a staircase. Once Brianne gets to the top of the staircase, there will be more stairs that will actually lead her down to the stage. Brianne let James and the kids come to her dress rehearsal, so they got to watch the whole show before anyone else. It was pretty amazing too. Alaina Valentine even did great during her performance. She's crazy, but she really is a good performer. If Allie can find her, she might ask the pop star for some performing advice. Who could give performing advice better than an actual performer? Wait...Brianne is a performer, but she's thirty six years old. Alaina is eighteen, so Allie might learn better if she gets some advice from someone her own age. Not that Brianne hasn't taught her anything. She's not saying that her mom isn't a good performer because she really is.

"Interesting." Chandler says, looking around. "Hey, Alaina Valentine is here, right?"

"Katie, I need my latte!"

At that moment, Katie storms past Allie and Chandler, holding a latte in her hands. She is angrily muttering under her breath as she walks into Alaina's dressing room. Allie and Chandler look at each other with confusion. Katie is her publicist, not her assistant. Where is Alaina's assistant? She probably fired her again.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something." Chandler says, leading his girlfriend into an empty room. He closes the door and turns to look at Allie. She gives him a confused look as he grabs her hands. She loves when he does this, but she doesn't know what he's going to ask her. She hopes that he isn't about to propose or something. They've only been dating fora little more than a week and their parents would throw a fit. Besides, she isn't ready to get married yet. She wants to go to college, then get married and have kids. She's only seventeen, so she has no business with a wedding ring.

"Allison Marie Diamond, will you..."

"What are you about to ask me?" Allie asks nervously.

"You didn't let me finish." Chandler says, rolling his eyes. He rests his forehead against hers and lifts one hand to her cheek, stroking it gently. "Will you be my date to the prom?"

Her boyfriend just asked her to prom! She hates going to prom without a date, but now she has a date! She can go to prom this year! She kinda wanted to go last year, but she just didn't want to feel all lonely while her friends danced with their dates. If she's gonna go to prom, she wants to have fun. Now she can!

"Yes." She whispers, smiling as he kisses her.

Knock! Knock!

"Is anyone in here?" Hadley asks.

"Yes!" Chandler calls out.

"Chandler? Are you and my sister making out in there?" Hadley asks loudly, probably getting the attention of everyone backstage.

"Open the door and you'll find out!" Allie says before pulling Chandler into the kiss. Chandler starts deepening the kiss just as Hadley opens the door. He rests one hand on her hip and wraps his other arm around her waist. They don't even pay attention when Hadley opens the door. She gets a disgusted look on her face, watching them for a few minutes. Ugh, seeing her goody two shoes sister actually make out with someone is so weird. Usually, it's Hadley that does all the making out, but Allie has officially joined the party. It's just really weird, though.

"Wanna see Alaina perform?" She asks, relieved when the new couple ends their kiss.

"Sure." Allie says, grabbing Chandler's hand. They walk out of the room and over to the left wing. Alaina is performing her first song, called What You Want.

_"This song rocks!" Hadley says._

"She's even hotter in person." Mason says.

"Actually, she looks pretty plain without all the makeup." Allie tells him. "Physically, she's really just a normal girl. Mentally, she's little...different."

"You know she threw her Coke bottle at me?" Walter tells them.

"Seriously?" Hadley asks in surprise.

"Uh huh." Walter nods, staring at the floor. "She's mean."

"Of course she is." Allie agrees. She looks at the middle staircase, where Brianne is standing. She's wearing black pants, a white crop top, and a black knee length coat. Her wavy blonde hair has been left down and her makeup is pretty simple, except for dark eye makeup and pink lipstick. Her stylist is making some last minute adjustments to her hair, so she'll look amazing when she performs. Allie is still thinking about prom, though. Chandler actually asked her to prom. She didn't even think he was into the whole prom thing, but he asked her to be his date. She's cool with that. A romantic night with her new boyfriend sounds like fun. She can wear a pretty dress and dance with Chandler. Maybe Brianne will take her shopping next week. She wants to get something really pretty that will impress Chandler.

"Allie!" Hadley says, snapping her fingers in front of Allie's face.  
>Allie quickly snaps out of her daze, disappointed that Hadley won't let her daydream.<p>

* * *

><p>"Wish me luck." Brianne says, adjusting her headset. She kisses her three kids on their heads and kisses James cheek. She begins walking up the stairs, singing "All Night Long" about five times before she begins the actual song. The crowd is screaming with excitement and she holds back a gulp as she begins the dance that she has worked so hard on. She hasn't really performed live in almost two years and she feels a little nervous. She's not exactly seventeen years old anymore, so she hopes that she still has the talent that she use to have.<p>

**_("All Night Long" by Demi Lovato)_**

After she finishes that song, she stands in the middle of the stage while a male dancer stands behind her. Since the song is called "Hold Up", the dancer is dressed in black pants and a black and white striped top with a black mask. One arm is around her waist and the other hand is touching her upper arm. The lights are dimmed, so the crowd can barely see them. Occasionally, a spotlight moves across the stage. The male dancer kisses her cheek, jaw, and neck before grabbing her hand and leading her to the top of the stairs. They sit down and the dancer picks up a car wheel, making it look like he's driving a real car. She's so glad that James doesn't get jealous anymore. She doesn't even feel comfortable with being so...flirty with a guy that she isn't even dating.

_("Hold Up" by Demi Lovato)_

* * *

><p>"Katie!" A sing song voice calls out.<p>

Katie was watching Brianne's final song of the night, but she apparently needs to babysit Alaina. She's getting real close to dropping Alaina as her client. Really, that girl treats her more like an assistant than a publicist. As a publicist, it's not her job to bring Alaina coffee. Her job is to publicize the little brat. Katie is usually a calm and patient person, but this girl is driving her crazy. She's is getting tired of being Alaina's little servant. She hopes that someone will get the courage to tell Alaina off because someone really needs to. Someone needs to give Alaina Valentine a piece of their mind.

"What?" She snaps. Could she get arrested for punching this chick?

Alaina is sitting on the couch with her feet propped on the coffee table. She is holding her empty cup out to Katie.

"Watch your tone, Katie Kat." She says sweetly. "Could you throw this away for me?"

"Sure." Katie whispers through a smile, grabbing the cup and angrily throwing it into the nearest trashcan. Just as she is about to leave the room, that annoying voice speaks again.

"Kathryn, could you bring me some Oreos from the snack table outside my room?"

Katie is so glad her back is facing Alaina right now. Her face is bright red and she's at the end of her rope. She stays in this position for a moment before finally turning to look at the pop star. She can't take anymore. She is done with being Alaina's slave. She has been dealing with Alaina Valentine for much longer than she wanted, so she is so done.

"No." She responds. "If you want them, get them yourself."

"What are you trying to say? "Alaina gasps desperately, rushing over to Katie.

"You can take it and shove it." Katie says before turning around and walking away, leaving Alaina to stand there in shock. Katie doesn't realize that Kendall was standing outside the door, listening to the whole thing. She walks past him, not seeing the proud smile on his face.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Kendall tells Alaina before following his sister.

Clapping is heard as Brianne walks backstage. The first thing she does is hug and kiss James. Her hair and face are matted with sweat from singing and dancing for almost two hours. She only looks a little tired, though. For the most part, she looks happy and excited. As exhausting as running around a stage is, it's a lot of fun. Every time she goes onstage, she is reminded of her love for singing and dancing. She has always loved it, but she was thirteen when she decided to be a professional singer. She had been singing at some school event and Walter had been there. He approached her after the show and asked her about getting signed with Starstruck Records. She was a little reluctant at first, but she decided to move out to LA.

"Nice show, mom." Mason says.

"Yeah, it was great." Hadley agrees.

"Thanks, guys." Brianne says, pulling both of them into a hug. "Where's Allie?"

"Over there." Mason says, motioning to a wall. Allie and Chandler are leaning against it, talking quietly. When Chandler grabs her hand and intertwines their fingers, Allie smiles. Brianne can't seem to hold back her "Aww" as Chandler kisses Allie's forehead. She doesn't know why James had such an attitude about that boy at first. She thinks Chandler is a real sweetheart that cares about Allie. He proved his feelings for her when he beat up Jay. You know a guy likes a girl when he'll risk getting suspended just to keep her safe.

"You know he asked her to prom?" Mason says, watching his sister flirt with her new boyfriend.

Shut up!" Brianne squeals. "My baby's going to her senior prom? With a date? We've gotta go to the mall this weekend and buy her a dress and..."

"Mom!" Hadley says, tapping her on the shoulder. "Calm down."

"Sorry." Brianne whispers. "I got a little excited."

"Brianne, Katie dropped Alaina!" Kendall says happily. Behind him, Katie is rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, that little monster is out of my life." She says, still irritated with Alaina.

"And you know what she told her?" Kendall continues.

Okay, now Kendall is just pushing it. He doesn't need to repeat Katie's every word. She doesn't even want to talk about Alaina anymore. She just quit being that girls publicist/slave and she would really like to have one day where she doesn't even have to discuss that mean little girl.

"She said take it and shove it." Kendall says, winking at Katie. That wasn't such a smart idea because Katie punches his arm. He is about to say something when they hear screaming and smashing from Alaina's dressing room. Some of the things she says aren't so nice, but many of the guests and crew members are laughing. Since her door is open, she is able to throw a face out of the room, seeing who she can hit. Luckily, everyone moves out of the way. If that vase hit someone, it wouldn't be pretty. It has been a fun night and no one wants to ruin it with a trip to the emergency room. And Alaina doesn't need anymore restraining orders and lawsuits. Seriously, people have sued her before. Katie hated getting involved in those things, so from now on, she's only going to work with classy and well behaved stars.

James familiar shriek of terror is heard and they watch as he ducks just as Alaina throws a glass bottle out the door.

"Was that a beer bottle?" He whispers nervously.

"Can we leave now?" Katie asks. "Because I've got a headache."

"Good idea." Brianne says, straightening the edges of her black leather tank top. "Just let me get changed."

She kisses James before walking to her dressing room.

James smiles dreamily, but his smile fades a little when he sees Allie and CHandler. His daughter's arms are wrapped around her boyfriend's neck and both of them are smiling. Is it normal for James to feel weird about Allie having a boyfriend? Even though he promised to be nice, he still cringes every time he sees Allie and Chandler together. It's probably just a habit, but he doesn't really know. He's grateful that Chandler protected his daughters, but he still can't believe that Allie and Chandler are dating. Every time that boy comes to their house, he and Allie are all over each other. They're always hugging and kissing. It's sweet yet weird all at the same time.

"Whoa, that's Allie's boyfriend?" Katie asks in surprise.

"Uh huh." James nods.

"He's cute."

"Yeah, he's a...nice kid." James says, clearing his throat. "He saved Allie and Hadley from getting beaten, so I'm trying to give him a chance."

"Just remember that she's not a little girl anymore." Kendall tells him.

"I know." James whines.

After about ten minutes, Brianne returns from her dressing room. Now she's just wearing jeans, a grey hoodie, and her hair is pulled into a messy low bun. Since she's no longer wearing the fancy clothes, she doesn't look like a pop star anymore. She just looks like a normal person.

"Alright, let's go home." She says, motioning for Allie and Chandler to follow them.

* * *

><p>"Chandler's mom is working late, so could he stay here?" Allie asks hopefully.<p>

"Um, sure." James says carefully. "But he's sleeping on the couch."

"Sounds good to me." Allie says, giving Chandler a kiss.

"Alright, are you just going to watch a movie?" Brianne asks them.

"Yeah." Chandler nods, resting his chin on Allie's head. She's sitting on his lap with her back against his chest. He has one arm wrapped around her, as if he's trying to protect her in some way.

"Okay, have fun." Brianne says, leading James to the kitchen.

"The Lost Treasure scares me." Allie says as she presses the play button on the remote. The Lost Treasure is just an action/suspense film, but it has some pretty intense moments. She knows why Chandler wanted to watch it, though. It's the reason that most guys have when watching a scary movie with a girl. They know that the girl will get scared, so she'll bury her face in the guys shoulder and they'll have an excuse to have their arms around the girl. If that's really Chandler's reason, Allie doesn't mind watching the movie with him.

"Hey, Mrs. Diamond?" Chandler asks. "Isn't one of your friends in this movie?"

"Which movie?" Brianne asks as she makes some cheese soup.

"The Lost Treasure."

"Hilary." Brianne tells him. "She played the main character's love interest."

Chandler shrugs and directs his attention to the screen.

"You better comfort me." Allie jokes as she snuggles up to him.

"Why? Are you too chicken?" Chandler teases.

"You're mean." Allie says, crossing her arms. This is just an amusing part of their relationship. Chandler says something obnoxious and Allie pretends to be mad at him. This leads Chandler poking her sides and hugging her until she laughs and forgives him.

"I'm sorry." Chandler chuckles, poking her sides. Allie squeals and grabs his hands, pulling them away from her sides. She pulls them around her waist so that he is hugging her. She's happy that he doesn't try to remove his arms away from her because she loves when he cuddles her.

"Chandler, you don't find this movie disturbing?" Mason asks, looking at the screen.

"No way! It's cool."

"I agree with this handsome bad boy." Hadley says, taking some pop corn out of the bowl on her lap.

"Give me that." Mason says, taking the bowl from her.

"If you two start fighting over that bowl, I will scream." Allie mutters.

When Chandler kisses her shoulder, she grins softly. Having a boyfriend is amazing. She's watching a movie and cuddling with him right now and in a few weeks, they will be dancing together at the prom.

"Hey, I just realized something." She says thoughtfully. "None of us ever talked to Alaina."

"Trust me." Brianne tells her. "You don't want to."

**Songs:**

**What You Want-Evanescence**

**All Night Long-Demi Lovato**

**Hold Up-Demi Lovato **

* * *

><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	29. A Night To Remember

Allie stares at her reflection as she checks for any wrinkles on her knee length prom dress. The dress is a pretty blue with a black bow around the waist and black floral lace covering the lower half of the dress. Silver high heels with a strap around the ankle and one diamond encrusted strap down the front of her foot accessorize the outfit. Her hair is pulled into a low side bun. Her makeup is natural, except for a light peach lipstick and some blush. She can't believe that she's going to her senior prom tight. And with a date!. Chandler should be here any minute so they can go. The Hollywood Arts Prom is going to take place in the Asphalt Cafe and it's going to be amazing. The school got a band to play and there's going to be food. They've got security again, so no one (*cough* Hadley!) can sneak in. Apparently, the school still remembers what happened last year.

"Allie?" Brianne asks, knocking on the door. "Are you ready? Chandler's here."

"Yeah!" Allie says, checking her makeup before opening the door. As soon as she steps out of the bathroom, Brianne's eyes fill with happy tears. Allie quietly sighs in annoyance as her mom plays with a few strands of her hair. She just wants to go to prom already! She's finally going to end her reputation as an outcast and actually hit the high school social scene. Chandler is going to take her in his truck. Mason is going with Kayla. He finally asked her to prom a couple weeks ago by throwing rocks at her bedroom window and holding a sign saying "Will you go to prom with me?"

"Let's go." Brianne says, leading her down the hallway. Allie takes a deep breath before following her mom into the living room. James, Mason, Kayla, Hadley, and Chandler are all standing in the living room. Well, Hadley is sitting on the couch, looking mad because she never got a date to the prom. Kayla looks really pretty. She's wearing a pink strapless floor length dress with silver sandals. Her blonde hair is curly and pulled into a half up/half down hairstyle. Lastly, Allie's eyes land on Chandler. He's wearing a tuxedo with a blue boutonniere, which matches Allie's dress.

As Chandler is looking at his girlfriend, James gives him a threatening look. He's accepting their relationship, but he wont accept them making any stupid decisions.

"Wow, you look beautiful." Chandler says. Allie smiles shyly as she approaches her boyfriend. They stand in a group with Mason and Kayla, allowing Brianne to take pictures. Chandler wraps his arm around Allie's waist and whispers something to her, making her laugh. Picture time takes about five minutes, then they are ready to go. Mason says goodbye to his family before leading Kayla outside to his car. This leaves Chandler and Allie alone with James and Brianne. They are about to walk towards the front door, but James quickly stops them.

"Just want you to know something." James tells Chandler. "If you break my daughter's heart, I will break your face." He threatens. Brianne rolls her eyes before grabbing James arm

"Have fun." She syas before dragging James to the kitchen.

"Before we go." Chandler says, grabbing a small box off the coffee table. "Hold out your wrist."

Allie holds out her left hand and smiles as Chandler puts a blue corsage on 's such a pretty flower and she feels proud to wear it.

"Alright, let's go." Chandler says, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I can't believe we're going to prom." Allie says as they walk out to Chandler's truck. Chandler opens the door for her and she gets into the front passengers seat, fastening her seatbelt. Once Chandler gets behind the wheel and fastens his own seatbelt, he pulls away from the curb. He messes with the radio, trying to find the right station.

"Oh my gosh, do not change this song!" Allie says as she enough, she's singing too. "Yeah! It's a party in the USA!"

Chandler has to crack a small smile. It's nice to see Allie Diamond loosen up a little and just have fun. Before he really got to know her, he thought that she was a nerd with no life, but he never realized how wrong he was. She knows how to have a good time. She just needs a little help. He has never seen her party like this. She's singing and dancing and laughing, rather than yelling at him and worrying about stupid things. She's actually acting like a normal teenage girl. By the way, that's the only reason he's leaving the radio on this channel. Allie likes this song and she looks cute when she dances.

"You're lucky you're cute." He murmurs.

* * *

><p>"Wow." Allie says as they enter the Asphalt Cafe. It's decorated with colorful lights and balloons. The band is performing on the stage. The area is filled with teachers, students, and a few parents. Everyone seems to be having a good time and now it's time for Allie and Chandler to join them. If Allie looks closely, she can see that Tara has gotten hyped up on the Coca Cola. That's why people don't usually give her soda. If she drinks too much, she tends to be kind of annoying. She will talk and talk and she'll never shut up. No one wants to deal with that.<p>

"Hey, want me to get you some..." Chandler starts to say. But Tara approaches them before he can finish.

"Hey, guys!" She says quickly. "Are you having fun? I am! I drank three glasses of Coke and I'm feeling so good right now! I feel like dancing! Do you feel like dancing! Oh my gosh, you should total join me and my date! He's a junior and he's totally hot! Don has a date too! She's really pretty! Unfortunately, Morgan is here too! She went with a senior year, but I don't think he's that great looking. Hey, where's Hadley? Is she planning to sneak in like last year? Didn't she get thrown out? You know, my parents and I got thrown out of a restaurant one time! They said that we were being too "obnoxious". That's so stupid, right! But my mom told them off before we left."

When she turns around, Chandler and Allie quickly walk walk over to the snack table, where Chandler pours Allie a glass of punch. She happily accepts the drink, taking a small sip. She looks over at the band. They consist of four guys and a female lead singer. She is wearing a purple sink knee length dress. Her light brown hair is straightened and has one pink hair extension on the side. She's playing a guitar while she sings. Allie doesn't remember the bands name, but they look familiar.

Allie looks over at Camille, who is looking at her with a smile. She gives her teacher/family friend a curious expression. She frowns when Camille walks onto the stage and whispers to something to the lead singer, who nods and motions for her bandmates to stop playing.

"Mrs. Mitchell says that there is a young lady that needs some practice for the upcoming talent show." She says. "Allie Diamond?"

Everyone turns to look at Allie, who freezes in place. No way! She was suppose to dance with Chandler, talk to friends, stuff her face, and go home. Not sing onstage with some pop/rock band. She has to say no! She can't do this. She can't go up there and sing. She isn't prepared at all, so she doesn't know why Camille would think that this is okay.

"You'll be fine." Chandler whispers, kissing her cheek. She gulps and nods before walking to the stage.

"Camille, what is this?" She whispers.

"The best way to prepare yourself is to perform for a real audience." Camille says before walking off the stage. Allie groans as she turns to look at the lead singer.

"Hey, you'll fine." The girl tells her. "Just go with it."

"Uh huh." Allie squeaks as the singer steps aside, letting her stand in front of the microphone.

_As she sings, _she starts to get more confident, grabbing a hold of the mike and putting more feeling into the song. Hey, this isn't so bad...In fact, it's actually kinda fun!

The band stops playing the music, the audience actually cheers for her. She takes a deep breath, surprised by the rush that she got from performing. She has always been so terrified of performing in front of a crowd, but she had a great time up there. Her friends look so proud of her, increasing her confident. If she could impress people tonight, she can surely do it at the talent show. She's still shocked that Camille volunteered her without asking, but Allie is kinda grateful for that. She thought it would be so terrifying, but it wasn't bad at all.

As she walks off the stage, Tara screams and runs up to her, dragging her into a hug.

"Oh my gosh, you were amazing! Wasn't she amazing?" Tara rambles to some random partygoers. She squeals as she hugs Allie again. "You should've did a Britney Spears song! Or Lindsay Lohan! How about Lady Gaga! Are you a Lady Gaga fan? How about Katy Perry? They were famous when our parents were teenagers, but they're so awesome! I love Lady Gaga's outfits! They're so crazy, yet so awesome! Maybe I should start dressing like that!"

"Tara, shut up." Jessica tells her daughter.

"Sorry, mom!" Tara shouts before disappearing into the dancing crowd. Her loud yells are still heard, though.

"Remind me to make sure that she never eats sugar." Jessica says before following her daughter.

"Hey, gorgeous." Chandler says, hugging her from behind. "Care to dance with me?"

"Sounds great." Allie says, grabbing his hand. He leads her to a less crowded part of the Asphalt Cafe and they begin dancing. The band begins playing "Perfect", the song that they were singing before Camille interrupted them.

"Here's a little word of advice. _Don't sing._" A snobby voice whispers. Allie turns around to see who insulted her. Morgan, wearing a gold and strapless knee length Max Azria gown, is smirking at Allie. The brat is obviously thinking that Allie is going to run home crying. Well, she's wrong. Allie is through with being bullied. She's not gonna take it anymore. It's time for her to show Morgan that she's not gonna be a victim.

"I'll do what I want." She says before turning back around.

Chandler smiles as Morgan's jaw drops.

"Ugh!" Morgan yells before storming away.

"Wow, you're feisty." Chandler tells Allie. "I like that."

"Shut up!" Allie laughs, kissing him passionately.

"Wow, I got to watch my girl be feisty for once _and _I got a kiss." Chandler grins, returning the kiss. "This is turning out to be a great night."

"You are so weird." Allie giggles, kissing his cheek.

"And I'm proud of it."

"Of course you are."

* * *

><p>They stay at prom until midnight, when it finally comes to an end. Tara finally crashed around eleven thirty, so Jessica took her home. But Chandler and Allie stayed for the whole time. They didn't want to leave until they were forced to go. They were having way too much fun together.<p>

Allie sighs tiredly as Chandler parks in front of her house.  
>"I had fun, didn't you?" She says, resting her head on his shoulder.<p>

"Yeah." Chandler says, kissing her head. He gently grabs her chin and forces her to look at him. He kisses her softly and strokes her cheek. "Get some rest, okay?"

"I'll see you at school on Monday." Allie says, kissing him again before getting out of the car. When she walks into the house, she is immediately pulled into a hug by her dad. She groans softly. She was having a great night with her boyfriend, now she has returned to being an overprotected daughter._ Fantastic._

But it's not too bad. She loves her dad and she knows that dads are suppose to be protective. She was just having a _really _great night with Chandler.

"Are you okay? Did he treat you with respect? If he didn't, I'll..." James rambles.

"Daddy, we had fun." Allie giggles, kissing his cheek. "I'm fine."

"Oh, good." James sighs in relief. "Hey, you better get to bed. Your mom, Mason, and Hadley are already asleep."

"Okay." Allie says before walking to her and Mason's room. She quietly walks to her closet, smiling dreamily.

This was definitely a night to remember.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I'm tired. I spent a lot of time on homework today. I was getting real frustrated with that math:( Anyway, I have 91 reviews right now and I would really like 100, so...Yeah, I've always wanted 100 reviews. As I always say, review! :D<strong>


	30. I Love You

"Ms. Carson, Leighton has improved a lot since she first checked in, so I think she's ready to go back to LA." Dr. Simpson, the medical director, tells Hilary. She and Leighton are sitting in a small office with Dr. Simpson, talking about Leighton's outpatient treatment. Both of them are beyond excited to get back to LA and they want Dr. Simpson to hurry up and finish this meeting so they can leave. Hilary already knows how she's going to rearrange the house for Leighton. Before the accident, her room was on the second floor and Hilary's was on the first floor. To make things easier, they're just going to switch rooms. Since Leighton's in a wheelchair, there's no way that she would be able to make it up the stairs. And Hilary couldn't possible push her daughter up the stairs. So they are going to make things as simple as possible. As far as school goes, Leighton may return to school for the final exams, but she isn't going to return full time until next year. Hilary plans on getting a homeschool teacher for her daughter.

"Can we please leave already?" Leighton asks impatiently. She frowns when Dr. Simpson chuckles. Okay, why is this guy laughing? Just because she isn't a miserable wreck anymore, it doesn't mean that they can just laugh at her. Leighton hates being laughed at. She may be unable to walk, but she still won't let people treat her like a joke. She's being totally serious right now. She wants to leave and go back home to California where she belongs. Florida was kinda nice, but she's starting to get tired of it. The beach is nice, but it's not the beach that she knows and loves. It's just too bad that she can't swim anymore. She use to enjoy splashing random people just to irritate them. She, Alicia, and Morgan got a kick out of that. Yeah, they were mean girls, but they weren't terrible. They were just having a little fun.

"Of course." Dr. Simpson says, shaking their hands. "Good luck, Leighton."

"Whatever." Leighton says, wheeling herself out of the office. Hilary gives Dr. Simpson an apologetic smile before following Leighton. Yep, Leighton is starting to become her old self. She has toned down the mean girl act a little bit, but not completely. She still has an attitude sometimes, but she wouldn't be Leighton if she didn't.

"Alright, let's get you into the car." She says once they approach the red convertible. She carefully grabs Leighton and begins putting her in the front passengers seat. Then she folds up the wheelchair and puts it in the backseat before getting into the car herself. She starts the ignition and drives out of the parking lot, prepared to return to sunny California.

* * *

><p>"Okay, we are only two weeks away from the big show." Camille says happily, clapping her hands. "Anyone want to volunteer to sing their solo?"<p>

Allie does something very out of character. She slowly raises her hand and she smiles when Camille motions for her to come to the middle of the floor. She stands in front of the microphone and waits for the music to start."A Little Bit Stronger" is one of her mom's old songs that she had recorded for her fourth album but ended up putting on her first EP. It's about getting over a bad relationship and becoming stronger. It's pretty obvious, though. If you listen to the song, the message is pretty clear. It doesn't necessarily have to be about a romantic relationship. Allie thinks it's great for anyone that has had any kind of failed relationship, whether it be with a boyfriend, husband, friend, or a family member. Allie thinks of Hadley and Jay when she hears the song. Jay was a jerk for beating Hadley, but she's a strong girl.

_("A Little Bit Stronger" by Sara Evans)_

"Very good, Allie." Camille says as the music ends. Allie returns to her seat and smiles when Chandler wraps his arm around her shoulders, kissing her cheek. She hears Morgan scoff with disgust, but she doesn't care. She's a lot happier and more confident than she use to be. Mean girls like Morgan don't bother her anymore. She doesn't care if people don't want her and Chandler to be together because they are together and no one can do anything about it. She likes Chandler and she's going to continue dating him whether anyone likes it or not. She likes Chandler a lot and she never wants to lose him. She thinks that she might even love him. They've only been dating for two months, but she's starting think she may really be in love with him. She's not gonna tell him yet, though. He would get freaked out if she said "Chandler, I love you." after only two months of dating. She doesn't want to move too fast.

"Okay, we're going to let practice out early today." Camille tells him' "You guys have been doing great. This show is going to rock!"

"What do you wanna do?" Chandler asks Allie as they walk out of the dance studio.

"Can we go back to my place?" Allie asks, wrapping her arm around his waist. "Maybe we could...Eat my mom's homemade cookies and watch Hot Tunes TV. I'm sure they will have some great music videos to watch. I haven't watched any music videos in a while. How does that sound?"

"Hey, you stole my idea!" Chandler teases, wrapping his arms around her. She laughs as she kisses his cheek, sighing dreamily as he kisses her forehead. She loves this guy and she just wishes that she could tell him, but she is not about to risk scaring him off. She's finally able to say that she's taken by a really amazing guy and she does not want to screw it up.

"I can't read your mind, okay?" She says as they walk outside. As much as James probably wanted to say no, he let Chandler take Allie to school today. Allie could tell that he felt nervous about it, but she kissed his cheek and told him that she would be fine. Also, she told him to stop worrying so much.

They get into his truck and fasten their seat belts. Chandler turns the radio on and "Remind Me" by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood comes on. He starts singing quietly and Allie smiles. He definitely has the voice for country music. After graduation, he plans on going to Nashville to make it as a country music singer. Allie told him that she will definitely buy his debut album. Then he suggested that she become a pop star and she had to laugh. Sure, she's going to become a famous pop star, performing in front of thousands of people. Not! She may have the courage to perform at a talent show, but she couldn't possible perform at Madison Square would probably freeze up and everyone would know about it.

"Have you talked to Big Machine Records yet?" She asks him.

"Yeah." Chandler says. "They're sending a guy to the talent show. Hopefully, they'll want to sign me."

"They will." Allie tells him. "You're really great."

"I just worry that I might not be good enough." Chandler admits. "What if I'm not what they expected?"

"Don't say that." Allie tells him. "They're going to love you."

"You think so?" Chandler asks her.

"I know." Allie says, kissing his cheek.

* * *

><p>"He's going to be a country music singer?" Kendall asks James. Brianne had to be at Starstruck Records today, so James invited the guys to come over. They've just been relaxin, watching TV, and talking about the kids. One topic of discussion has been Allie and her new boyfriend. All of the guys know that Allie has been dating someone, but they don't know much about the guy. Today, they've learned that he's a singer, dancer, and actor, he likes wearing jeans and T shirts, lives on a ranch right outside of LA, and wants to be a country music singer. They've all been laughing to themselves because James thinks that Chandler will end up singing with Taylor Swift and dumping Allie for her. Carlos had to be stupid and say "Well, Taylor Swift is pretty hot, so I can understand why he would." Carlos is thirty six and he still has the the tendency to put his foot in his mouth.<p>

"He's going to be performing in honky tonks and having trashy girls throwing themselves at him." James groans, laying face down on the couch. "He's a good kid, though. He saved my girls from getting beaten, but who knows what fame will turn him into? I'm not gonna let my daughter date a punk that cheats on her."

"Dude, you're being paranoid." Kendall says, patting his shoulder.

"That's what you think." James says, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Let's watch Hot Tunes TV." Logan says, changing the channel. As soon as "Five O Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett comes on, James out a whiny cry. For some reason, he always thinks of Chandler when he hears country songs. What if the kid ends up being one of those honky tonk, bar hopping type performers that drinks beer and flirts with random women. Allie deserves better than that. James isn't going let her be mistreated by some horseback riding, beer drinking, womanizing hillbilly. Chandler better not let fame go to his head or he's going to have to deal with James.

"Why does that upset you?" Carlos asks in confusion.

"Chandler wants to cover that song for his debut album." James groans. "And that Beer For My Horses song that Toby Keith did. You see? He's gonna be a beer drinker."

"Dude, Allie likes this guy, so you better not mess with him." Kendall warns.

"I'm not." James murmurs. "I learned about that when I tried to spy on their rehearsal."

"That's more like it, Jamie." Kendall says, patting his head.

"Dude, don't touch my hair. Second of all, never call me Jamie." James says in a menacing tone.

"Okay." Kendall says awkwardly.

James sighs as he rolls onto his back. He's being so ridiculous, right? Chandler has proved that he's a good guy, so James should calm down. Chandler even said that he wasn't going to let fame go to his head, so James should just trust me. He doesn't seem like someone that would be easily influenced.

"Dad, we're home!"

"We're in the living room." He says, sitting up. Allie and Chandler walk into the living room, holding hands. James forces a smile onto his face. When Kendall laughs at his sudden change in behavior, he nudges his friend with his foot.

"How was school?" He asks them.

"Great, Mr. Diamond." Chandler says politely.

"Maybe he'll be calling you Dad in a few years." Carlos whispers with a laugh.

"I dare you to say that again." James says through a smile.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Allie asks him.

"Yeah!" James laughs nervously. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you look like you did last summer when the police brought Hadley home in the early morning." Allie tells him.

Yeah, he really wants to remember that incident. What parent wants to be woken up by the police at one thirty in the morning? Apparently, Hadley had snuck out to go for a joy ride with her boyfriend that she was dating at the time. James and Brianne grounded her for a month after that. She didn't like it, but they didn't care. She needed to learn her lesson. Of course, she didn't, but at least they tried.

"I'm fine." He lies. "Really."

"Okay." Allie says in a sing song voice. Chandler sits on the couch next to James and pulls Allie onto his lap.

James looks at Logan, who rolls his eyes in response.

"Excited for the talent show?" Carlos asks, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Uh huh." Allie says happily, hugging Chandler.

"Hey, Hollywood Nation Online just announced that Leighton has left rehab." Kendall says, looking at his phone. "She's coming back to LA."

"Let's hope that she has a nicer personality." Chandler says, wrapping his arms around Allie's waist.

"I'm sure that she has changed." Logan says, trying to sound positive.

_"I hear you're looking for a boyfriend. I see that..." _Kendall's phone rings.

"Hello? Okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes. I love you!" He says before hanging up. "That was Jo. She wants us to meet up at Starbucks."

Without saying goodbye, he runs out the door.

_James clears his throat as Chandler sings to Allie. Chandler actually has a really good voice. Of course, it isn't as good as James. He has talent, though. As long as he behaves himself, James will let him date Allie. However, the minute he screws up is going to be the minute that James kicks his behind._

"Mr. Diamond, did Mrs. Diamond make those cookies?"

"Yeah." James sighs. "They're on the kitchen island."

* * *

><p>"I'll see you tomorrow." Allie smiles, kissing Chandler. They spent two hours watching TV together and eating the cookies, but now it's time for him to go home. Allie doesn't have any homework, so she still has a few hours to do whatever she wants. She's thinking about asking James to make a pizza, so they can watch a movie together or something. She doesn't want mind spending time with him. In fact, she actually enjoys it. She likes to have time away from her parents too, but there are days where she just feels like spending time with theme.<p>

"Bye." Chandler says before walking to his car. Allie closes the door and walks to the living room, sitting next to James.

"Could you make a pizza? I was thinking that we could watch a movie." She tells him.

"Sure." James says, kissing her forehead.

"Daddy, could I ask you something else?" Allie asks him. "Do you like Chandler? Because I question it. You just act so weird when you see us together."

James sighs heavily and kisses her head again. It's not that he doesn't like Chandler. He's just getting use to seeing Allie in a romantic relationship.

"Baby girl, Chandler is a great kid." He says softly. "I'm just not use to you having a boyfriend. Plus, I want him to treat you right. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah." Allie nods. "Chandler does treat me right. He cares about me and I care about him."

"I wonder if he said that to his last girlfriend." Hadley says from behind the couch. A hushed whisper follows her sentence.

"Get out from behind the couch." James tells his other two children. Mason and Hadley slowly stand up, whispering apologies before walking to their rooms.

"You guys are so invasive!" Allie laughs.

"I'm gonna start on that pizza." James says before walking to the kitchen.

Suddenly, Allie's phone beeps and she looks at the new text message.

_To: Allie_

_From: Chandler_

_I love you:D_

_Slowly, a smile appears on Allie's face. She doesn't even hesitate as she types a three word response._

_To: Chandler_

_From: Allie_

_I love you too:)_

**_Songs: _**

**_A Little Bit Stronger-Sara Evans_**

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><p><strong><em>Alright, the next chapter is the BIG chapter! The chapter that you've all been waiting for! Haha:)<em>**

**_Anyway, we're only five away from 100 reviews, so keep reviewing! :)_**


	31. The Big Night

"I haven't gained weight, have I?" Allie asks worriedly. Camille is helping her into her first costume of the night, tight skinny jeans and a silver tank top with a black leather jacket. The talent show has finally arrived and nerves are pretty high. Everyone is rushing to get into their costumes and get their make up on. Hadley and Morgan are probably the only ones that aren't nervous. Allie isn't sure if it's an act or if they're really that calm about this whole thing. She's kinda scared about going onto the stage, but Chandler has been giving her reassurances all night. She's most excited about performing their duet. After Big Time Rush performs and introduces the show, Morgan is going to perform her solo and monologue, then some kid is going to perform their dance routine, then Allie will perform with Kayla and Hadley.

"No." Camille says as she helps Allie into the jacket. "You look great."

Allie nods slowly as some crew member hands her a headset. She puts it on her head and Camille helps her get it set up. She walks over to Hadley and Kayla, who are already waiting by the stage. BTR is performing their song "Paralyzed", but it's almost time for Morgan to go on. She's standing next to Hadley, primping her hair. She pushes Hadley out of her way and waits for her turn to go onstage. Hadley rolls her eyes as Kayla grabs her arm. She tries to argue, but Kayla quietly whispers a warning to her. Hadley getting into a fight would be a terrible idea, especially on the night of the talent show.

"I'm freaking out." Allie gulps.

"Why?" Kayla sighs.

"What? Look at that audience!" Allie says, motioning towards the audience. Kayla and Hadley look at each other before looking at audience. Yeah, it's a big crowd, but it's not crazy big. They don't understand why Allie would be nervous when she's been working so hard to prepare for tonight. That girl really needs to get more self confidence. Hadley has plenty of it and she's pretty sure that Kayla does too. Why would Mason be interested in her if she didn't? No guy wants to date a girl that isn't confident with herself. Then again, Chandler was interested in Allie, so maybe there can be exceptions.

"Great show, guys." Camille says as the guys walk offstage. She walks onto the stage and smiles as she approaches the microphone. "Next, we have Morgan Parks performing Not Listening."

Morgan gives the three girls a smirk before walking onto the stage.

_"Boo!" Hadley yells, earning a slap on the arm from Allie._

Allie watches Morgan intently when she feels two arms wrap around her waist. The person's identity is given away when they kiss her cheek. Ah, Chandler...He's so cute. He's got a big solo coming up and Allie can't wait to hear it. He refused to tell her what the song was, so she's gonna get a surprise tonight. She's excited. She knows that Chandler's song is gonna be great. All she knows is that it's a country song. Since those guys from Big Machine Records are here, he needs to show them that he can perform good country music.

"Are you ready?" She asks, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, but I'm a little nervous." Chandler admits, kissing her cheek.

"Don't be." Allie says, giving him a kiss. "You're gonna be great."

Suddenly, the room becomes quietly. Some quiet squeaking can heard, possibly from a wheelchair. Wait, a wheelchair? Allie and Chandler turn around to find Leighton wheeling herself over to the curtains. She's wearing a white knee length sundress and a leather jacket. Luckily, it's different than ones that Hadley, Kayla, and Allie are wearing. On the other hand, she looks somewhat happy. She doesn't even look that snobby like she use to. Before the accident, you could tell how snobby she was just by looking her. There's just something different about her now.

"You're back?" She asks awkwardly.

"Yep." Leighton says simply. "Got out about two weeks ago."

"Leighton, how are you feeling?" Camille asks her.

"Good." Leighton says with a soft smile.

"I see you got that voice back." Logan says, ruffling her hair.

"Hey, Logan, is hairspray flammable?" Jessica asks loudly.

"You put that lighter back in your purse!" Logan says before Jessica can do anything with it. He walks away from the teenagers and over to his best friend's wife.

Finally, Morgan's song ends. She walks offstage, looking very pleased with herself. She doesn't even acknowledge Leighton, who looks very hurt by this. She sighs as she looks towards the stage, where Camille is already introducing the next performing. When Camille announces Allie, Hadley, and Kayla, they walk onto the stage. Leighton can't believe that Allie is about to sing her song. She was going to perform it first, but the stupid accident kept her from doing so. She can't seem to do anything anymore. All she can do is wheel herself around and try to ignore the sympathetic looks that she receives everywhere she goes.

Allie gulps as she gets into position. Okay, she can do this. She's been working hard for this night, so she isn't going to mess it up. All she has to do is stay calm and just sing, which she actually enjoys doing.

**("Eyes Of The Tiger" by Spectacular!)**

Allie finds herself smiling as the song ends. That wasn't so bad! Performing for that crowd is actually a lot of fun. She doesn't feel so nervous anymore. In fact, she can't wait until it's time for her to return to the stage. She knows that she and Chandler will do great on their duet. A disco ball is going to hang from the ceiling and some spotlights are going to shine on the stage, staying true to the song's theme.

"You girls were great!" Camille says, hugging all three of them. She walks to the stage and announces Chandler. Once she does that, she goes over to Logan and hugs him.

**_("The Trouble With Girls" by Scotty McCreery)_**

"Stop the music for a minute." Chandler says. The band stops playing and everyone watches him with confusion. "There is a special girl that I would like to dedicate this song to. Allie Diamond, please come to the stage."

Allie reluctantly walks onto the stage, sitting next to Chandler.  
>"What are you doing?" She whispers.<p>

"Just listen." Chandler whispers before continuing to play his guitar.

**(The song continues)**

When he sings that last line, he looks at Allie. Is it weird for her to feel like crying happy tears? She doesn't want to sound like a baby, but she actually has tears in her eyes right now. That boy made her cry! She wasn't even paying attention to the audience as Chandler sang to her. She's very touches by the gesture. She's never had a guy sing to her before, except for her dad. He doesn't count, though. She has never had a boyfriend and the fact that her first one actually brought her onstage to sing to her. Hopefully, Chandler will be her only boyfriend.

She smiles as he kisses her.

"I love you." He whispers.

"I love you too." Allie says quietly as they walk off the stage.

**Thirty minutes later**

Allie puts the curling iron down. Now she's wearing a knee length dress and her blonde hair is curled. She's finally going to perform her duet with Chandler. Okay, she has her shoes, her bracelet, and...She hopes that she's not forgetting anything. No...Okay, she's good. All she has to do is go and have fun with her wonderful boyfriend.

**_("Hit The Lights" by Selena Gomez)_**

_"CHANDLER, YOU'RE HOT!" _Some fan girl shouts. Allie keeps a smile on her face as Chandler leads her off the stage. Her jealousy must be obviously because Chandler gives her a kiss on her forehead, something he always days when something is bothering her. Everyone loved Chandler's song and he's probably going to get signed to Big Machine Records, so he's going to have a bunch of crazed fans falling all over him. Allie just hopes that they don't take their obsessions too far. If she finds girls sneaking into his house at two in the morning, she's gonna be mad. She's not trying to be a jealous girlfriend, but she does want to protect their relationship.

Meanwhile, the Big Time Rush guys are sitting in a dressing room, exhausted from performing.

"Dude, why does water make people go to the bathroom a lot?" Carlos asks, taking another swig of water.

"Well, our body is mostly made of water and when you drink more, it..." Logan starts to say, but Kendall quickly interrupts him.

"Don't go into any details." He says in disgust.

"No! Jett, I am not buying you another mirror." A voice says in annoyance. The door bursts open and Lindsey walks into the room with Jett.

"Why?" Jett complains. He stops long enough to make a very familiar comment, something he always use to say when they were teenagers. "Hey, I'm still better looking than all four of you combined."

"Lindsey, can I please hit your husband?" Kendall asks.

"Jett, I'm the hot one." James argues.

"Eh, not as much as me." Jett responds. James starts to stand up, but Carlos and Logan pull him back down.

"Guys, let's just have fun tonight." Lindsey says, smacking Jett behind the head. "And Jett, I think you're getting some grey hairs."

This prompts a squeak from Jett, who rushes over to the vanity mirror.

"I'll talk to you guys later." Lindsey says, dragging Jett out of the room.

James smiles as Allie walks into the room. His beautiful baby girl...He's so proud of her and Hadley. Allie went from being this shy and timid little girl, now she's a happy and confident woman. He knows that she's gonna grow up to be a very outstanding person. She's gonna go to college and have a very successful life. He can say the same for Hadley. She may be a little wild, but she's a very smart girl. Recently, she got an A on a History test. James would say that it was a miracle, but he thinks that she's had it in her all along. She just needs to try a little harder.

"AHHHH!"

The guys all look at each other, wondering where that scream came from.

"There's a spider on my dresser." Tara squeaks.

"I"ll be right back." Carlos says, taking his shoe off. He follows Tara to her dressing room.

**An hour later**

"Alright, everyone, we have one last performance." Camille tells the audience. "We eight seniors that performed tonight and they worked together to arrange a special musical number for you all. In two weeks, these eight students will be graduating with the class of 2030. Here they are with Something To Believe In."

**("Something To Believe In" by Spectacular!)**

"I feel like I'm watching an episode of Glee right now." Leighton says, staring at the group of performers.

"You watch Glee?" Hadley laughs. "That show is so annoying! They take classic songs and turn it into bubblegum pop chiz."

"You take that back!" Leighton gasps.

Onstage, Camille is preparing to close the show.

"Will all performers please come to the stage?" She says. Everyone involved in the show obeys, walking onto the stage and standing in a group.

"Wow, this has been an amazing show. Thank you all so much for coming! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Every one of these kids has so much talent and potential to be great singers, actors, and dancers. I have a good feeling that you will be hearing from a lot of them in the next few years. Many of these young people will be getting careers in the show business and I wish them all the best. Some of them will be attending college, some want to become famous, I hope that they do well at whatever they choose to do in life. Anyway, I also want to thank Mrs. Hartley, who is the head of the Hollywood Arts drama department. She has been a great mentor for me as a teacher and she has taught me so much. I also want to thank my wonderful husband, Logan, and our son, Chris. I love you guys! And last but not least, I want to thank my students. I love each and every one of you. You all have inspired me and it's wonderful getting to watch you guys grow as people and as performers. I really do wish you all the best. Thank you, everyone!"

Allie looks at Chandler with a smile, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Great show, huh?" She says.

"Very." Chandler responds. They slowly lean into a kiss, feeling like the only two people in the room.

This whole thing started out with Hadley volunteering Allie to audition for the show. At first, she didn't even get accepted, then Leighton got hurt and Allie had to step up and take her place. She was so scared of embarrassing herself, but now she realizes that a lot of good came out of it. She got an amazing boyfriend and a confident new attitude. She's a new person now and she's proud of who she is. She's different yet she hasn't changed too much. She's just more confident, but a little bit of the old Allie Diamond still remains. And she's okay with that. In this town, it's important to not let fame get to your head. Allie is strong and she knows that she can make it.

**Songs:**

******Eye Of The Tiger-Spectacular!******

**The Trouble With Girls-Scotty McCreery**

**Hit The Lights-Selena Gomez and The Scene**

**Something to Believe In-Spectacular! **

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><p><strong>Wow, 99 reviews! Just one more until 100! :D Anyway, this was the last official chapter, but I am going to write an epilogue. It will most likely be posted today. If you've ever wondered what the OC's actually looked like, I'm going to talk about that. I just had them be inspired by different celebrities, since it was easier for me to envision them when writing the chapters. Yeah, I'll talk about that in the authors note after the epilogie. Then I'm going to tell you more about my next story:)<strong>

**Keep reviewing! :D**


	32. Epilogue

James watches with pride as both Allie and Mason are given their diplomas. They are sitting in the bleachers at the Hollywood Arts football field, watching the Class of 2030 graduation ceremony. This is it. Allie and Mason are officially high school graduates. They're adults now. They're growing up. The thought still scares him, but he has accepted it. He's proud of their accomplishments. Allie being an almost straight A student and getting accepted to UCLA. Mason getting decent grades and being so determined and motivated. They are becoming the people that James and Brianne want them to be. They're going to be successful and happy. That's all that James has ever wanted for them.

"I am so sad right now." Jo whispers.

"They're growing up!" Jessica sobs dramatically. She and Jessica hug and cry, causing a scene. Their husbands pull them into a hug, comforting them. Allie, Mason, and Hadley are like children to them, so they're just as proud of the twins as James and Brianne are. Even though they're married and have children, they are always going to be family. Some people drift apart after high school, but the guys and their girls never did. At thirty six/thirty seven years old, they're as close as they always were. They have stuck together through the good and the bad. That's how it's always going to be. They're friends and friends are always there for each other.

"I can't believe that they're graduating." Logan says.

"Remember our graduation?" Carlos asks dreamily.

"Trust me, Carlitos." Kendall nods. "We all remember it."  
>"The cute twins are mine!" Briannne brags to the other guests.<p>

"Shhh." James whispers, kissing her cheek.

Brianne smiles as she kisses James. They've come along way since they were seventeen. They had their fights and they even broke up a couple times, but they never stayed that way. They always got through the rough patches in their relationship. They may not be a perfect couple, but they are happy. As long as they're happy, it's all good. They don't need to be perfect to be happy. In the years that they've been married, they have brought three beautiful children into the world. Two of those children are graduating from high school today.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the class of 2030!" Principal Sanders says. That's when the graduates throw their hats in the hair, celebrating the beginning of the next chapter of their lives.

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><p>After the graduation, everyone went over to the Diamond's for a graduation party. There's music, food, and socializing to keep everyone entertained. They even set up a stage in the backyard for live entertainment. James and Brianne have the money, so they had no problem with getting a stage for a party.<p>

"Hey, someone needs to get on that stage and sing." James tells Hadley and Allie. "It's too quiet around here."

Allie and Hadley look at each other and smile.

"Okay, dad." They say before walking to the stage. They whisper to the DJ, requesting some background music for a good song. Then they grab some headsets off the table, motioning for Tara to join them. The younger girl happily grabs another headset and follows them to the stage. They motion for the DJ to begin the song. When the music begins playing, they begin singing.

**("Bless Myself" by Lucy Hale)**

James and Brianne, along with the rest of the partygoers, cheer for the girls. Brianne wraps her arms around James waist and gives him a tight hug, smiling when he kisses her. It reminds her of their teenage years. They may be adults now, but their love for each other will never end. Neither will the friendships that they've gained over the years.

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><p><strong>*Sobs* Well, that's the last chapter. Anyway, I want to thank AlliJay21 for giving me my 100th review. My Dilemma is the first story to get that many and I really appreciate it:) It has been a little more than a year since I started this series and I am amazed at the response that it has gotten. I have really enjoyed about the guys, Brianne, the other characters, and the crazy adventures that they have gone through. This is probably my favorite series that I have ever written, but I have to say I want to try writing stories outside of the Round and Round series. Those of you that were a fan of this series, I hope to see your amazing reviews on my next story. <strong>  
><strong>Before I tell you more about that, here are the character descriptions.<strong>

_Brianne Rocque-She's a blonde version of Vanessa Hudgens_

_Jessica Valdez-Selena Gomez_

_Hilary Carson-Ariana Grande_

_Lindsey Sanders-Hayden Panettierre_

_Lauren Williams-Ashley Benson_

_Tiffany Landers-Carrie Underwood_

_Jordan Montez-Lucy Hale_

_Jackson Tyler-He's like a younger version of Ludacris_

_Arabella Martin-Victoria Justice_

_Allie Diamond-Gilland Jones (She played LeAnn Carter on ICarly)_

_Mason Diamond-David Henrie _

_Hadley Diamond-She looks like Mila Kunis in That 70's show (Maybe a little lighter in skin color, but some facial features)_

_Chandler Hale-Scotty McCreery (As I was writing him, he just morphed into a Scotty clone or something)_

_Morgan Parks-Elizabeth Gillies_

_Leighton Carson-Can you imagine Demi Lovato with red hair? Because I wanted Leighton to look a little bit like Demi_

_Alicia Harris-Jamie Lynn Spears _

_Kayla Zevon-Tiffany Thornton_

**Yep, it looks like I had way too many OC's, but remember that some of them only appeared in one or two stories. **

**Anyway, thank you all so much for the support. Now I want to tell you about my next story! *Claps* It's called How To Love and here is the story description.**

**James's wife died and he is stuck raising their 10 month old daughter as a single parent. Shortly after his wife passed away, Big Time Rush spit up. Almost a year later, Gustavo wants to get the band back together. While in LA, James meets an old friend and he struggles to let someone new into his life.**

**You like it? I really hope that you like it. I'm really excited and I think that it's going to be fun to write. It's going to be serious, but not boring, so don't worry about that. Haha:P Anyway, when I post it, I really hope to hear from my Round and Round fans, along with anyone else that likes the story:)**

Alright, long authors note. Yeah, I'm gonna shut up now. How To Love will be up very soon! I can't wait for you all to read it:)

**Love, **

**Brooke**


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